Tom's Take

My Blessings Are On The Way

2012-02-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

We are in Day 36 of "Secure Texas." The Lord has decreed that we are to release His blessing into the heart of Texas - county by county. It is a season and a time to bless.

As I gave my offering to Global Spheres this morning, I received the following letter from Peter and Doris Wagner and Chuck PIerce. It clearly states what I can expect this month BUT also what Texas can expect. Read it. Declare it! Release it!

The Hebraic month of Shevat is a time to shout, "My blessings are on the way!" This is also a time to declare DIVINE RECOVERY! Shout these words over your family! Shout these words over your bloodline! Shout these words over your neighborhood! Shout these words over your city and state. Shout long and hard for your children and those in the next generation. Shout over the supply lines that you need to open so your provision is released. Shout "divine recovery" over businesses. Divine recovery!

This is a month when the rivers are rising. Do not fear if the waters around you seem to be rising. Instead, declare that living water is being released which will allow your roots to be watered and sustained in a new way. We are decreeing you are being rooted and grounded so that you will stand firm in the season ahead!

This is a month when the almond tree blossoms in Israel. The almond tree is the first tree which blossoms, and marks the beginning of a new cycle. Cry out to the Lord for blossoming of the "new" within you. We are praying you will be very fruitful this year, and that as you blossom your fragrance will be an aroma of life in Christ.

Each month is also linked with a Tribe. Asher is the Tribe associated with this month. His name means "happy." Moses' blessing for Asher was, "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days." (Deut 33:24) Asher's territory was in western Galilee, the most fertile land in Canaan. We are praying that you will find this to be a time of great joy, and that you will praise the Lord for the many ways He looses blessings upon you this month and year.

The Lord bless you and the Lord bless Texas!

Healing Lands, Healing Hearts

2012-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

Check out these upcoming events in Texas

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-TXAPN.html?soid=1102365169294&aid=q6WT5bqaGZA

Secure Texas

2012-01-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

Secure Texas is an initiative designed to pray specifically for each county ofTexas between January 6, 2012 and Rosh Hashanah 2012 in September. Wewill start alphabetically with Anderson County. You can download thePDF of our Secure Texas Prayer Guide here. I also encourage you to contact your TXAPN regional coordinator at http://www.txapn.org/regions to find out the day we will be focusing on your county. You can download a list of all the counties in alphabetical orderstarting on January 6 (Note: On the form it will have the date listed in the following format - yy.mm.dd) here.

Each day we will decree...

Lord God Almighty, we come before Your throne on behalf of Texas and the Nation. Your court is seated. We approach You through the name of Jesus the Christ and His precious blood. We present before You the 254 counties of our state, in order that You, Lord, from Your court, will secure them with Your scepter – the scepter of the kingdom. Secure them, O Lord,...... in covenant with You. Secure them in righteousness. Release their designed destiny for Your Kingdom so that we may indeed be the voice you have called Texas to be. We make the following declarations in Your name. Let Your word go forth into ____________County and Texas.

They Saw the Light - He is the Light!

2011-12-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Light the four Advent Candles and the Christ candle! This is the season of light and Jesus (Yeshua) is the light of the world. He is the only light. He is the servant light of Hanukkah.

Lord, we invite Your light into our darkness. Please forgive us for our sins. Today, we make the decision again to turn back to your light and to be agents of Your light. Thank you for keeping your promise and dying on the cross so that we would not live in darkness but could be forgiven and live as ambassadors of light. Thank You Holy Spirit. We receive You today. Please come into our lives and be with us forever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

"Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

And so we receive God’s light—not just the flickering of candles but the eternal promise of God’s light in us now and hope of eternal life forever.

Angels, from the realms of glory,  
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;  
Ye, who sang creation's story,  
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:  

Come and worship,  
Come and worship,  
Worship Christ, the new-born King.

Shepherds in the field abiding,  
Watching o'er your flocks by night,  
God with man is now residing;  
Yonder shines the infant Light: Refrain

Sages, leave your contemplations,  
Brighter visions beam afar:
 Seek the great Desire of nations;  
Ye have seen his natal star: Refrain

Saints before the altar bending,  
Watching long in hope and fear,
 Suddenly the Lord, descending,
 In his temple shall appear: Refrain

MERRY CHRISTMAS

They Saw the Light - The King of Kings

2011-12-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

The child was born. Light had now pierced the darkness. Jesus is the Light of the World. His life and ministry brought healing, forgiveness, restoration, hope and light into the darkness of this world. But the darkness would not receive Him. He was betrayed, tried, scourged and finally crucified. What hope is there for a world that refuses and banishes light from its presence?

Their hope and our hope is the light. For the light of the world was not extinguished. He rose from the dead. His light penetrates and destroys all darkness. Jesus brings His life and light into our hearts. He lives in us and He has called and established us as witnesses of the one True Light.

We are now the light of the world. Christ works in us and through us to bring light and salvation to all peoples, tongues and nations. In the midst of darkness, we have seen the light and He is Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

They Saw the Light - The Shepherds

2011-12-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

What a glorious night! What a glorious display of glory! The heavens burst forth with sound, light and song! The darkness was pierced as the multitude of heavenly hosts declared the birth of their captain - Jesus, the Lord of Hosts. The single flame of a candle will cause the deepest darkness to dispell. How much more on this night was the darkness overcome by the Lord of Glory.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men" (Luke 2:8-14)!

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Luke 2:15-20).

And this glorious revelation was made to those considered the lowest class of citizens. From heaven above to earth He came. He came to the lowest people in the smallest of towns to reveal the greatness of His glory, power, might and love!

In the midst of darkness, the shepherds saw the light.

They Saw the Light - Nativity Part 3

2011-12-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

The light pierces the darkness. The structures of this world shake as the King of kings makes His entrance. The radiance of His glory shatters hopelessness, fear, sickness and death. The King releases hope, love, health and life. Praise His holy name as you light the second Hanukkah candle and the four Advent candles. Remember that there was enough oil for only one day as the temple was cleansed in 165 B.C. This day is the beginning of the miraculous.

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:1-7).

In the midst of darkness the LIGHT was conceived.
In the midst of darkness the LIGHT was born.

Hanukkah

2011-12-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

I thank Brick and Leann Wall of Rising Eagles Ministries for the following thoughts on Hanukkah:

Hanukkah, the ‘Feast of Dedication’ (also known as Chanukah or the ‘Festival of Lights’), is celebrated each year for eight days and nights starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, which is November-December on the modern calendar. This year the celebration begins at sunset on December 20th and continues through sunset December 28th. In Hebrew, the word Hanukkah means "dedication." The holiday commemorates the cleansing and re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. after a great victory by a Jewish rebel army led by the Maccabees over the Syrians. At this time, restoration of the tabernacle began. This is a time of restoration! It also remembers the miracle of one day’s oil lasting eight days! Expect the miraculous! It is celebrated around the world with eight nights of merriment and traditions including the lighting of the menorah, exchanging gifts, family games and enjoying special treats cooked in oil. This is a time for us to allow the Lord to cleanse out of us any defilement and dedicate ourselves fresh and new to the Lord.    Hanukkah is one of the most historically documented of all of the Jewish holidays. It stands as a heroic reminder of courageous and enduring faith in God and uncompromising devotion to Him despite great personal risk, qualities God is looking for and the Body of Christ is in great need of today. In John 10:22 we read that Jesus went to Jerusalem at the time of the Feast of Dedication which was Hanukkah! Jesus celebrated the Feasts too! 

The principle ceremony of Hanukkah is the lighting of candles each evening in the home. The Hanukkah menorah holds nine candles, one for each of the eight nights and one additional candle (in the center and elevated) called the shammash or servant candle which is used to light the other candles. In a Messianic Jewish sense, the servant candle points to Christ as the light of the world that lights every other light! Candles are lit each evening corresponding to the number day of Hanukkah, e.g. day one 1 candle, day 2 two candles. Candles are added to the menorah each day from right to left (like Hebrew writing). Each night the number of candles is lit from left to right (using the servant candle which is lit first) until all eight are lit on the eighth night (44 in total). Candles are allowed to burn out each night on their own and the menorah is traditionally placed where it can be viewed from outside the front of each house so that all who pass by may see the lights and be reminded of the meaning of Hanukkah. A blessing is spoken before the candles are lit each night:   

English: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.  

Sfaradi/Modern Israeli: Barukh Atta Adonay Eloheynu Melekh Ha-olam Asher Kiddeshanu Be-mitsvotav Ve-tsivanu Lehadlik Ner Shel khanuka  .

Personally, our family has benefitted greatly from observing the Feasts –in our own way- and developing our own traditions. Traditions are a good thing. They help to instill values into our children. They also bond families together. We plan something special each night for 8 nights. We have a special meal each night WITH DESSERT! The first night Brick will tell the story of the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil. One night we will play games, one night gifts, and we try and get together with family and friends as much as we can. Movies are something we really enjoy. Braveheart is a good movie this time of year because of it’s similarities with the story of the Maccabees. One night we will make and decorate homemade doughnuts!  A popular game for children in Hebrew culture was dreidel, a four-sided top with Hebrew letters on each side. The letters are the first letters of the words in the phrase Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, “a great miracle happened here.”   Hanukkah is a time of gifts. Early tradition involved the custom of giving Hanukkah gelt (Yiddish for “money”) in which parents and grandparents gather the children on the fifth night and give them coins. In North America the exchange of gifts has become a regular part of twentieth century Hanukkah observance, and a modern form of gelt now is foil-covered chocolate coins. During this celebration it was customary to eat foods fried in oil as a reminder of the oil-cruse tradition. Traditional foods included potato cakes fried in oil called latkes or homemade deep-fried jelly filled doughnuts sprinkled with sugar called sufganiyot. Hanukkah was also a time of much singing in celebration. Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights commemorating the miracle of the candle as well as the relighting of the fire on the purified altar. As a result there is an emphasis upon light in this celebration.   

The history of Hanukkah is as follows:   

In 332 B.C. the Greek empire rose to power led by Alexander the Great. They ruled the world from Europe and Egypt to India imposing on everyone Greek culture and religion known as Hellenism. This was the time period just prior to the Roman Empire and is represented in the Bible as the time between the Book of Malachi and the arrival of John the Baptist in the Gospels. After the death of Alexander, Antiochus rose as the Greek King of Syria. He was an evil tyrant who was cruel, harsh and savage. It was his desire to ‘hellenize’ or impose Greek language, thought and religion upon all his subjects to have complete control. Hellenism was more than a political structure and philosophy. It was built around the Greek religion which defiled nature, created a pantheon of mythological gods and promoted widespread immorality in the worship of those gods and Israel now found itself under his rule. Two groups then developed within Israel: those who completely opposed the Greeks and their culture and those that saw political, social and economic advantage in embracing it. As the Roman Empire began to rise in power Antiochus became enraged and vented the full heat of his wrath and frustration on the Jewish people. Suddenly and without warning he ordered the destruction of Jerusalem. Houses were burned, the walls of the City were breached and tens of thousands were killed or sold into slavery. In 168 B.C. his soldiers attacked the Temple on Mount Zion smashing its porches and gates and stripping it of its golden vessels and treasures. Antiochus then erected an idol of Zeus, the supreme deity of the Greek pantheon, on the holy altar. Then, on the birthday of Zeus (Kislev/December 25), he offered a pig on the altar, sprinkled its blood on the Holy of Holies and pour its broth on the Holy Scrolls before he cut them to pieces and burned them. Many Jews were forced to eat the meat from the pigs that were sacrificed. Jewish rituals were outlawed and the Jews were ordered to worship Greek gods on pain of torture and death which became widespread. If any Jewish customs were followed, whole families were put to death. Babies were hung around their mothers’ necks and women were thrown from the walls of the cities. The line had been drawn – assimilate or be annihilated! 

 The Maccabees 

Dark days followed and many faithful were driven into the wilderness as the soldiers of Antiochus brought this same terror to city after city. One such detachment came to the village of Modin not far from Jerusalem itself. After erecting an idol to Zeus a Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to the idol, sacrifice a pig on the altar and eat its flesh, activities forbidden to Jews. The officer asked an aged priest named Mattathias to take conduct of the sacrifice. He was a descendant of the first order of priests and was also the father of 5 sons. When he refused defiantly another priest stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the priest, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. After the death of Mattathias, leadership passed to his son Judah. He was a military genius in his own right who became known as the Maccabee, believed to be from the Hebrew word meaning “hammer”. For three years the revolt raged. Hiding in caves and lying in ambush, the Maccabees gradually frustrated and wore down the Syrian occupation. Finally the freedom fighters met in open battle and secured stunning victories opening the road to Jerusalem.   

The Miracle of the Re-dedication

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the Holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken. They tore down the idol to Zeus and began to repair the Temple. They rebuilt the holy altar and on Kislev 25, 165 B.C., exactly 3 years to the day from its defilement, they rededicated the altar to the Lord! Oil consecrated by the priest was then needed for the temple lamptstand but only one small cruse of unpolluted oil could be found which still bore the unbroken seal of the priests. It was only enough oil for one day but miraculously it burned for eight days until a new supply of oil could be consecrated!!   Bless you and may you have a very Happy Hanukkah!

Brick & Leann Wall
Rising Eagles Ministries 
Texas Apostolic Prayer Network
Gulf Bend Regional Coordinators

They Saw the Light - Hanukkah

2011-12-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

As you light your four Advent Candles tonight, you might want to start lighting the candles of the Hanukkah menorah. Hanukkah begins this evening at sundown.

The first week of December, I attended the annual meeting of the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network in Oklahoma City. One of the speakers, Bill Schnoeleben, was releasing a word regarding the redemptive power of the Season of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is the feast which celebrates the miraculous restoration and cleansing of the temple after it was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 B.C. As they relit the oil in the Menorah, there was only enough for one day - yet it lasted for eight.

Jesus attended this feast: “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:22-24).

But more importantly, Jesus (who born during Rosh Hashanah and the Feast of Tabernacles) was conceived during the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). The LIGHT OF THE WORLD was conceived! The light of the world was and is being revealed!

Redemption's incarnational process began! And we continue to release that light through the prayers and actions of our lives in Christ! I bless you during this season of LIGHT!

They Saw the Light - Nativity Part 2

2011-12-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

The news was declared. Mary had been chosen to conceive a child by the Holy Spirit. The angel declared:

"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end....The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:30-37).

Many have wondered at Mary’s response. What did she really think? How did she feel? The answer to our questions come from Mary’s own heart. She said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever"(Luke 1:46-55).

In the midst of darkness, Mary saw the light. As she glorified God so we also should glorify Him and rejoice in Him. He has kept His promise.*

*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light - The Nativity Part 1

2011-12-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

We start lighting four candles.

The zeal of the Lord would accomplish it. Only the Lord can bring the light which will destroy darkness. Only the Lord can conceive in our hearts the faith to reach out to the One True Light. Only God can bring a promise to birth! What kind of day was it when that conception of light took place. We only know that it took place in the Galilean village of Nazareth. Here at the crossroads of Gentiles and Jews, a young maiden of fourteen or fifteen was chosen. Her heart was pumping for joy—not because of God’s promise of eternal light—but because of her recent betrothal to the young carpenter, Joseph. Their life together was just beginning, but little did she know how much of a beginning it truly was. For the time was ripe. God’s promised moment had arrived. The centuries of waiting were over.

In the city of Jerusalem, the news was buzzing around town that the old Priest Zechariah had seen an angel in the temple and even though he was struck dumb by the experience, the word also traveled about that his wife Elizabeth had miraculously conceived. Six months later and one hundred miles away, the same angel appeared to Mary.*

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

They Saw the Light - Prophets 3

2011-12-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
His delight is in the fear of the LORD,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears (Isaiah 11:1-3).

And again:    “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! 

Laud Him, all you peoples!”

And again, Isaiah says:    “There shall be a root of Jesse; 

And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, 

In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:11-13).

They Saw the Light - The Prophets Part 1

2011-12-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

The great drama was unfolding before the eyes of humanity. God was drawing us closer to the day when the greatest light of all would shine upon the earth and darkness would begin to breathe its last breath. The world would still spin as though it were balancing on the edge of an abyss. The ravages of sin weighed down the people who had been created in the image of God.

As king after king reigned over the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, God lifted up those who would continue to declare His heart and His promise of a coming light. The Spirit of God rushed forth through the prophets. One of them, Isaiah, faithfully proclaimed:

"In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan--the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor....For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:1-7

The zeal of the Lord would accomplish it. Only the Lord can bring the light which will destroy darkness. Only the Lord can conceive in our hearts the faith to reach out to the One True Light. Only God can speak the promise and bring it to fulfillment. In the midst of darkness, the prophets saw the coming light.*

*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light - Prophets 2

2011-12-16T10:11:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

The prophets saw the light. One of my favorite prophetic revelations of the coming Messiah is recorded in Micah.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

      Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
      Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
      The One to be Ruler in Israel,
      Whose goings forth are from of old,
      From everlasting.

Therefore He shall give them up,
      Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
      Then the remnant of His brethren
      Shall return to the children of Israel.
       And He shall stand and feed His flock
      In the strength of the LORD,
      In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God;
      And they shall abide,
      For now He shall be great
      To the ends of the earth;
       And this One shall be peace" (Micah 5:2-5a)

This is the nature of our Lord. In Bethlehem, a place known for its lower class of people (mostly shepherds), God brings forth the most precious of all gifts. We would expect a king to be birthed in a palace. Instead He is introduced to the world to a gathering of shepherds.

The Lord would speak to you today. He declares that He comes to you. He comes where you are - even if you consider that place insignificant or unworthy of such a visit. He invades your world with His peace and light. He restores and strengthens who you are - as designed by Him. He is indeed the Lord and Ruler of your life. He is Your peace!

They Saw the Light - David Part 4

2011-12-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Over the last three weeks I have been preaching from Psalm 23 - the Shepherd Psalm. I have been using The Message version of the Psalm.

God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
   You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
      you find me quiet pools to drink from.
   True to your word,
      you let me catch my breath
      and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through
      Death Valley,
   I'm not afraid
      when you walk at my side.
   Your trusty shepherd's crook
      makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner
      right in front of my enemies.
   You revive my drooping head;
      my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me
      every day of my life.
   I'm back home in the house of God
      for the rest of my life.

I ask you today to simply meditate on these words. It was written by the hand of a shepherd who knew his SHEPHERD. I believe the Lord will reveal fresh revelation and anointing into your life in the same way He did for another group of shepherds on the hills of Bethlehem.

They Saw the Light - David Part 3

2011-12-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

David longed for God’s presence. He went after God’s presence because that was his priestly calling. He knew he had to go into the presence of God. I believe he was driven there by the passion in his heart. How do I know that David longed for the presence of God? All you have to do is start reading through the Psalms to hear David’s hunger for God’s presence. For instance in Psalm 42:1, 2:

“As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”

And in Psalm 63:8:

“My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me.
So, David pursued the Lord.”

Are you going to choose to worship God and be fruitful?
or will you choose to let somebody else do it for you?
Are you going to pursue God with everything within you…
or are you going to let someone else do it for you?
Are you going to choose to be a priest after God’s heart?

David chose to be a priest after God’s heart. He went after God, and with reverence, gladness and sacrifice, brought God’s presence – the Ark of the Covenant - into Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 15:1-3 records the occasion like this:

“David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, "No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever." And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it.”

When the Ark was in its place, all the appointed musicians, Levites and people of God gathered to worship the Lord in this tabernacle established by David. I believe that God in that moment leapt with joy. His desire for intimacy with His people expressed to Adam and Eve and to the Israelites at Sinai was being fulfilled."*

On that day - all of the City of David saw the light!

They Saw the Light - David Part 2

2011-12-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

David was an anointed vessel of God who had the privilege to both approach the Lord in worship and to speak forth the heart of the Lord to all people. David’s calling as a priest was initiated and defined by God. It was a call based on David’s covenant relationship of faith with the Lord and was an invitation into an intimate fellowship with God. David carried out his priesthood – not in the framework of a religious system – but in his everyday vocation as a shepherd and as a king. David was called, claimed and redeemed by God's sovereign will and grace. And David “saw” the revelation of the coming Messiah, Yeshua. David’s priesthood is expressed through his life by an authority he was given by God to serve in His kingdom. It came in response to David’s intimate relationship with God.

David was a priest because, unlike his forefathers at the foot of Mount Sinai, he was more than to willing to say, “Yes” to God’s call to intimacy.
It is obvious that David was a great king over Israel.
His mighty acts are recorded for us.
But, David was a great king because he was a great priest.

As a boy shepherd, David was able to slay the lion and bear because of the strength of the Lord within him. He had no fear of Goliath because the Lord had assured him that the battle was the Lord’s. David’s life was saturated with evidence that he spent a great deal of his time in God’s presence. All you have to do is read through the Book of Psalms to see that David’s heart was wide open towards God. Somewhere in his youth, unknown to us, God’s “wooing” nature initiated a love relationship with David.

And David responded.

And God’s heart leapt.
God found one who searched for His Heart.
God longs for the same with you and me.*

They Saw the Light - David Part 1

2011-12-11T15:22:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

But once again, sin and darkness reared their ugly heads. Witchcraft, idolatry, greed and rebellion plagued the nation. And to make matters worse they saw the answer to the problem through human wisdom and understanding. They wanted a king like other nations had kings. They failed to recognize God as their true and only King. But God lifted up kings over them.

However, there was only one who truly won the heart of God. His mouth and heart were filled with worship and praise. He honored God and God honored him. And God gave King David a promise. He declared:

”The Lord declares to you that the Lord Himself will establish a house for you: when your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom....your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever.”

The promise was still on course. In the midst of darkness, David saw the light.*

Light three candles!

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light - Abraham Part 6

2011-12-10T03:52:00.000-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

The young nation was birthed with the promised and miraculous birth of Isaac. The promise was passed on to his son, Jacob, and then to his twelve sons. The nation was preserved and nurtured in Egypt, but the people experienced the full force of darkness again as their hands were shackled and their lives were lived out in forced labor. Through His servant Moses, God rescued the people. He showed the power of light over darkness as Pharaoh was destroyed in the waters of the sea.

The people were claimed by God. The promise was renewed. He made a covenant with them. God lived among His people and cherished their worship, praise and service. He would lead them out of the wilderness into the land which He had promised Abraham. In the midst of their own doubt and rebellion, they saw the victories of God. Through the Lord—their mighty warrior—they occupied the land of the Canaanites. The LIGHT of God went before them.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

They Saw the Light - Abraham - Part 5

2011-12-01T12:37:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

It's amazing how much light can be released through a single candle. We have all experienced power outages in our homes. We scramble to find a flashlight or a candle. As we light the candle, it fills the darkest room with light. Even in the midst of darkness there is a restoration of hope and vision. Darkness leaves us with feelings of confusion, hopeless, fear and death. So what was going through Abraham's heart and mind when the Lord asked him to take Isaac, the new light of his life, and sacrifice him on an altar? The answer is in the Letter to the Hebrews.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

Abraham did not have to extinguish that candle but God did. He gave His Son so that our light would burn eternally!

"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4-5)

They Saw the Light - Abraham Part 4

2011-12-01T12:17:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

As you lit the candles today did you notice what happened? Yesterday you extinguished the candles and it left dark smoldering wicks. But today as the flame on the matchstick drew near, the wick burst into flame and gave off light and warmth.

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (Genesis 17:15-17)

Abraham and Sarah saw the light. There bodies - old and beyond childbirth - were given new life and a new son. Years earlier they had tried to answer God's promise of offspring and Ishmael was born. But only God can birth Isaac. There is a promise made regarding the coming Messiah (the light of the world) in Isaiah:

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
      My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
      I have put My Spirit upon Him;
      He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
      He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
      Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
      A bruised reed He will not break,
      And smoking flax He will not quench;
      He will bring forth justice for truth." (Isaiah 42:1-3)

They Saw the Light - Abraham Part 3

2011-12-01T11:55:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said:

“ Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;

And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

And he gave him a tithe of all. Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself. But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” (Genesis 14:18-24)

Abram meets Melchizedek. Abram meets Jesus. Abram meets the Light!

It is clear from the testimony of Scripture that Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Everything we know about Melchizedek is a reference to Jesus Himself. Jesus as a priest is one with the Father. Jesus will do nothing or say nothing except that which is on His Father’s heart. Jesus, as a priest, releases His kingdom authority in the form of justice, righteousness, peace, salvation, healing and blessing. Anything that Jesus releases out of His character and His nature is God’s authority being released into our lives to change our lives. Do you realize that when Jesus says something, it immediately effects a change because it is based on the authority and dominion of God?"*

Jesus released His light to Abram. Jesus releases His light to you!

They Saw the Light - Abraham Part 2

2011-12-01T11:33:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you. Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD (Genesis 13:14-18).

Abram saw the light and the light transformed him. Seeing the light of God is not meant to be some "internal spiritual experience" that warms our hearts. It is meant to release us into our full destiny as members of God's kingdom. Children sing it best when they cry out, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." Notice with Abram that the Lord began to expand the realm of his influence. Look to the north, south, east and west. You will have "light-filled influence" over all that surrounds you.

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
From heaven above to earth I come
To bear good news to every home
Glad tidings of great joy I bring
Whereof I now will say and sing.

"This is the Christ, our God and Lord
Who in all need shall aid afford
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free."

"He will on you the gifts bestow
Prepared by God for all below
That in His kingdom, bright and fair
You may with us His glory share."

Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through whom the sinful world is blest!
Thou com'st to share my misery
What thanks shall I return to Thee?

My heart for very joy doth leap
My lips no more can silence keep
I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradle-song.

"From heaven above to earth I come" is based on a German song, "Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her" written by Martin Luther in 1535. It was translated to English by Katherine Winkworth.

They Saw the Light - Abraham Part 1

2011-12-01T11:05:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

God's promises continue to be new every day. Light your first two candles. Lighting the first reminds us of what God has accomplished in us. The second, as we light it for the first time, reminds us that God is bringing forth fresh light upon us today

But out of the multitude, God would choose a single man through whom the promise would continue. A man, nine decades old, and his wife, ten years younger, would be chosen to parent the promise. Abram and Sarai were called out of Ur and promised three things—they would receive a land set apart for holy use; they would be blessing with offspring beyond count; and finally the Word declared:

“And all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.”

God made an irrevocable covenant with this man and his offspring. Deliverance would come forth from his bloodline. Through the offspring of Abraham, the light would come. In the midst of darkness, Abraham saw the light.*

*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light - Adam and Even Part 5

2011-12-01T11:04:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Centuries passed by. The hope of light was still burning. The hope of salvation has endured years of sin and darkness at its worse. The offspring of Adam and Eve had also been tarnished—one was dead and the other banished by God. The earth and its inhabitants reeled in hopelessness and dread. Sin had become an horrendous monster. The world was headed for disaster. It would be covered by the judgment of flooding waters. Its second set of citizens, seeking power and unity, would be scattered by many languages.*

"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
         And broke their chains in pieces.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men" (Psalm 107:13-15)!

When things look worse, God brings forth light, salvation, hope. This will be the last day to light your first candle on your advent wreath. Tomorrow we move on with the lighting of two candles. God is bringing forth His light as well.

They Saw the Light - Adam and Eve Part 4

2011-12-01T09:34:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

"You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in— first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didn't sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it" (Romans 5:12-14 The Message)

I was meditating on the Genesis story of the fall of Adam and Eve. I've read it so many times. But my heart was stirred when the Lord directed me to read ahead to Genesis 4:1 - "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain..." Immediately the Lord revealed to me that Cain had neither seen nor experienced the glorious and intimate presence of God that Adam and Eve had known in the garden. The first born of Adam and Eve had to be taught! It has been said, "There are no grandchildren in the kingdom." Each person and each generation must be told of the wondrous news of God's presence, salvation and light. The other evening we had our daughter, her husband and their two children over for supper. We lit the Advent candles and prayed together. Three generations watched that candle burn. Three generations know His light. You've seen the light - pass it on!

They Saw The Light - Adam and Eve Part 3

2011-11-30T15:40:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Are you lighting your candle? It reminds us that the promise made to Adam and Eve was fulfilled through the tremendous love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The greatest of sin is nothing compared to the richness of God's mercy. As we confess our sin before Him, He washes us perfectly clean. Take a moment tonight in silence to present yourself before the Lord. He is standing before you with outstretched arms. His love for you is deep. His plans for you are marvelous. His grace will abound in your life.

"Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:18-21).

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art:
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a king,
born to reign in us for ever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all-sufficient merit
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788), 1744

CCLI #299683

They Saw the Light - Adam and Eve - Part 2

2011-11-29T11:56:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

"Clothed in the skins of divinely sacrificed animals, the two (Adam and Eve) walked away from the Author of Life and His intimate presence into the darkness of a world that had now been introduced to sin. They saw no hope. The voice of their Master, Creator and Friend was hidden by their own inner voices of confusion.

As they exited the garden which was their home, they remembered once more the words which had been uttered when their disobedience was uncovered. It was a word spoken to one who had tempted and deceived them. It was a curse spoken by the Creator; but in it was a PROMISE—the only word which now gave them hope." *

“So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel"(Genesis 3:14-15).

Adam and Eve were given a promise. A day would come when this tempter would be destroyed by a divinely anointed deliverer. In the midst of their darkness they saw light.

*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light - Adam and Eve

2011-11-29T08:35:00.001-08:00

Come into my heart
Come into my heart
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Come into today
Come in to stay
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

"Darkness was shrouding the countryside and the earth was trembling. It was as though a blanket had been laid over everything—leaving one with an ominous feeling of death and foreboding. It was the type of darkness that made a person feel an inner turmoil and fear. And there was turmoil. The peace and tranquility had been shattered. The spirit of rebellion was in the air. The Prince of Darkness was laughing a hideous laugh of victory. The crown of creation had become tarnished and spoiled. It no longer reflected the glory of the Maker.

The earth quaked. The animals scattered in fear. A man and woman stood alone. Filled with shame and guilt—they for the first time in their short lives felt the presence of fear, pain, shame, nakedness, envy, hatred and death. The brilliant light of a sword blinded their eyes as the angelic guardian escorted them from paradise."*

A hopeless scenario filled with death! BUT GOD.

O come, O come, Emmanuel 
And ransom captive Israel 
That mourns in lonely exile here 
Until the Son of God appear 
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel 
Shall come to thee, O Israel.  

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free 
Thine own from Satan's tyranny 
From depths of Hell Thy people save 
And give them victory o'er the grave 
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel 
Shall come to thee, O Israel.  

*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light

2011-11-28T14:05:00.001-08:00

Yesterday during Sunday worship we lit the first of four Advent Candles. Advent (from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming") is a season observed as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Although there is plenty of evidence that Jesus was not born on December 25th (it is more likely that he was born during the time of Rosh Hashanah on the Hebrew calendar), Christmas is still a great time to celebrate the greatest gift to humankind - the coming of our Savior.

The Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, for Christians, the season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians for Christ's return.

That's me on the right

I have early memories of celebrating Advent. It has been a vital part of our family's devotional life. It was time devoted to the singing of hymns and carols, reading the Scriptures, and the lighting of candles. At the end of each Advent devotion we sang:

Come into my heart
Come into my heart
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Come into today
Come in to stay
Come into my heart Lord Jesus.

My grandson Timothy

During this season of Advent, I would invite you to join our family in centering your hearts on the coming King! Create an advent experience. Use five candles. Four candles will be red, blue, or purple in color. The fifth is white. You can purchase an Advent stand or wreath at a Christian bookstore or supply house. You might want to create your own using a log or metal/glass stands for pillar candles. You will light and relight the first candle during the first week of Advent. You will light two candles the second week, three candles the third and four candles on the fourth week. The white candle is lit on Christmas Eve.

During the Advent season of 1990, I wrote a devotional to be used as a candlelight worship. I entitled it: "They Saw the Light." Over the next several days and weeks I would like to walk with you through that devotional. I again invite you to prepare your candles but more importantly to prepare your hearts as we set our hope and faith on the coming of our King - our Lord Jesus! Advent has begun! Light your first candle. Sing songs of praise! Ask the Lord to come anew into your heart today!

Watchman Alert: Call to Prayer by Dutch Sheets

2011-11-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

Watchman Alert: Call to Prayer by Dutch Sheets

Strategic Training Center - Intercession

2011-11-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Strategic-Training-Center.html?soid=1102365169294&aid=XicfH51t8Sc

Open the Gates

2011-10-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

DC 40 INITIATIVE

Declarations over and from Texas
Join us in saturating Washington DC with God's love and light!

Check out video on DC40
6 PM, October 24 through 6 PM, October 25

OPEN THE GATES

“Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:7-10).

Rejoice in the Lord! It is the day of new beginnings. The gates are open.
I decree as a keeper of keys that the gates are open to the King of Glory.

I decree the opening of the gates of minds and hearts to the kingdom of our God.
I decree the opening of our minds and hearts to the wisdom and revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Be opened to the Spirit of the living God – the Holy One.
Be opened to salvation, life, hope, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Let the waves of the Lord’s love and mercy be released into each of us.

I decree the opening of our homes and businesses to the King of Glory.
I decree the opening of the gates of our cities to the King of Righteousness.
Join me in flinging wide the gates of Arlington, Texas or wherever you live.
We invite the Lord of hosts!
We invite the fullness of His kingdom and His will to be manifested in our midst.

I decree the opening of the gates of Texas.
I remind the Lord of the places where we stood before Him and welcomed Him.
I decree the shores of the Gulf Coast open.
I decree the mountains of West Texas open.
I decree the sprawling lands of the Valley and the high plains of the Panhandle open.
I decree the Piney Woods and the Rolling Plains open.
I decree the farmlands of central Texas and the Hill Country open.
I decree the rivers open to the King of Glory.
I decree the cities and towns to be open to the King.
I decree the government, the educational systems, the families, the media, the arts and entertainment arenas, the businesses and the churches of Texas open to
the Lord God Almighty – the everlasting One.

I take the keys of the kingdom and open Texas and our surrounding covenant States

to the presence of King Jesus.
His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I decree the blowing of His wind across the land.
I decree the river of God to rise.
I decree the floodgates of heaven to open.
I decree the structures opposed to the Kingdom of God to crumble and fall in the name of Jesus!

On this day I cry to the Lord of heaven and earth and

decree open the gates of Washington DC and the United States.
Let the gates of righteousness and of God’s kingdom be opened in the Spirit.
Flood the land, O Lord, with Your presence.
The King of Glory shall come in!

40 Days Over DC - Texas

2011-10-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

Join us next Monday evening (6 PM - October 24) through Tuesday (6 PM - October 25) as we focus the prayers from Texas on Washington DC. We desire that the Lord overwhelm and influence our capital with His presence. Through prayer - let's saturate DC with prayer, worship and God's love, mercy and grace!

Check out video on DC40.

  “There is a mantle on Texas to bring forth change in America. Jesus, we want more of Your Christ anointing of the prophetic. Jesus, the Prophet, come to Texas. Come with Your holy zeal. Come with Your fire, come with Your revelation – Jesus, the Prophet, the Prophet of God. The very testimony of You is the Spirit of prophecy. Jesus, come and mantle Texas tonight with another level, another degree of the prophetic anointing to be forerunners for America. Impregnate this state with a transformation anointing. Impregnate this state with the ability to prophesy and decree change to the rest of the nation. Impregnate this state with revelation so that their words don’t fall to the ground. Impregnate them with a power that no matter what the hoards of hell say, that something changes in the Spirit. The decrees of man, the unrighteous spirit, the decrees of ungodly judges begin to pale and fall before You. Let the idols of man fall and be broken next to the Ark of Your Presence, Lord. Lord, I say according to Your word, a nation could be born from this state. I say there is a governmental anointing on the State of Texas – on the church of Texas – to rise up in her position in heavenly places and begin to legislate and begin to affect, to release the government of God that changes the government of man.” (Dutch Sheets – Dec 2004)

What Happens Here...

2011-10-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

I will climb up to my watchtower  and stand at my guardpost. 

There I will wait to see what the Lord says 

and how he will answer my complaint.

Then the Lord said to me,

“Write my answer plainly on tablets, 

so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. 

This vision is for a future time. 

It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. 

If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, 

for it will surely take place. 

It will not be delayed."

Habakkuk 2:1-3

Prince of Peace is a Spirit-filled and kingdom-minded fellowship that desires to worship and glorify God as we proclaim Jesus Christ to the world. As a church, we are...

To grow into an intimate relationship with God through worship, prayer and study,
To grow in a bonding relationship with each other through fellowship and ministry, and
To grow into a loving, witnessing and serving relationship with those who make up our circles of influence at work, play and home

This past Sunday I was preaching on the vision, mission and mandates that the Lord has given to Prince of Peace Church in Arlington. I shared the above vision and mission that the Lord gave us as a congregation over twenty years ago. I also shared the seven mandates the Lord gave us in 1999. I won't share those here except number 7. There has been a lot of questions about the apostolic movement. I am not going to use today as a platform to give a detailed description or understanding of the apostolic but this is what the Lord revealed to us and commanded us to be about 13 years ago:

We have a mandate from the Lord to be an Apostolic Ministry, a sending-forth ministry, a ministry that multiplies, that does not have as its focus solely on 1701 Martin Luther (the address of the church building). We should strive in the Lord to ensure…

That our ministry would be reproductive in its nature.
That the church would be sending-out in its nature (that's the literal meaning of the word 'apostle'). We will equip and send out people to do the work of the ministry. We will be in the business of sending people out to minister to the streets of the City and to the streets of the nations in order to birth ministries and bring forth God's kingdom wherever the Lord plants us.
That we would develop as a Strategic Training Center in molding and releasing persons grounded in worship, prayer and healing! We will witness the development of our members, under an apostolic covering, as leaders within our community, in our nation and in the world.
That being apostolic, we would see it as a part of this mandate to link together (network) with apostolic ministries from our area and from around the world. As a networked Body of Christ, we can do more together than we could if we were by ourselves.
That we are to be an Apostolic Church. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. We are to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. We are to be a church after His own calling.

As I summarized the message, I thought of the TV commercials for Las Vegas and other locations that boast: "What happens here - stays here!"

Well, let me said clearly, as an apostolic ministry, that...

"WHAT HAPPENS HERE DOES NOT STAY HERE!"

Lord, Your kingdom come and Your will be done!

We Remember and We are Praying

2011-09-11T12:04:00.001-07:00

How Shall We Respond?

2011-09-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

Some of the members of the Texas Apostolic Prayer Network gathered in Houston to pray and strategize. During our time together we asked the Lord about the drought and fires in Texas. On Tuesday morning, September 6, the Lord downloaded into our spirits. God spoke these things:

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. May our God come and not keep silence; fire devours before Him, and it is very tempestuous around Him. He summons the heavens above, and the earth to judge His people: ‘Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.’ And the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge … Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the most High; and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you and you will honor Me. But to the wicked God says, ‘What right have you to tell of My statutes, and to take My covenant in your mouth?” (NAS Psalm 50: 1-6 ,14-16)

"Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, 'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.' God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'"(NIV Job 28: 20-28)

God is not asking for Texas’ sacrifice, as though He were dependent on our resources or generosity; He is asking us to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to pay our covenant vows to the Most High. As we continued to pray, the Lord began to tie what’s going on in Texas to Israel. We are covenantly tied to Israel. As one of our members was praying she saw three different areas around Israel that began to war. As Israel’s enemies began to war against her, dust began to billow up. God’s glory went into the dust from Israel and His Kingdom was advanced into these three areas. We are now in a season where God is going to deal with the enemies surrounding us.

God is answering our prayers. Texas has been crying out for years for God to heal our land. We are today where Elijah was when God responded with fire to the altars of Baal. It is a time where “God will make His enemies like a whirling dust; like chaff before the wind, like fire that burns the forest, and like a flame that sets the mountains on fire” (Psalms 83:13,14). He is cleansing us.

So what do we do? First, we acknowledge that our Lord is the creator of heaven and earth. He is the only One who determines the time, location and amount of rain, or wind. He determines plenty or drought. He sends forth fire to purify, cleanse and judge. This is most difficult for us to grasp. The fires of Texas are destroying tens of thousands of acres of land and over a thousand homes have burned. It is especially hard as we experience loved ones close to and within the region of the flames. We confidently pray for the Lord to show His mercy and protection.

Second, we must persevere in the assignments He has already commanded us to obediently carry out. We must continue to divorce ourselves from every occult structure in the land. We must continue to divorce ourselves from the Baal, Jezebel and Leviathan high places in our lives.

But third, in this season (wilderness) of testing and cleansing the Lord is awaiting our response. Will it be murmuring and complaining or will it be a sacrifice of thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is birthed out a deep awareness in our hearts that God and God alone is in charge – regardless of the circumstances of life around us! He has promised to lead us through the fire and the water (Isaiah 43). It is His prerogative to judge or withhold judgment. He has asked us to trust Him as He cleanses His land. Again, It is a time where “God will make His enemies like a whirling dust; like chaff before the wind, like fire that burns the forest, and like a flame that sets the mountains on fire” (Psalms 83:13,14). And His enemies are not flesh and blood. He longs for the fullness of our redemptive destiny as much as He longs for the destruction of the evil forces that seek to kill, steal and destroy that destiny intended for us, and the land on which we dwell.

Most importantly, in the midst of judgment, God’s church must rise up to be the arms of His mercy, compassion, aid and resource to those who are losing and have lost their homes, belongings and loved ones. If you want to help we recommend you touch base with Somebody Cares and Austin Disaster Relief.

The Ominous Handwriting on America’s Wall

2011-08-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Lee

The Ominous Handwriting on America’s Wall

Stay the Course!

2011-08-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've been inquiring of the Lord the orders for the day. One of several things He has placed on my heart is "STAY THE COURSE." We are obviously in times of testing, transition and struggle. The drought (though we have witnessed rain in portions of Texas) is still strongly embedded. Our economy is in shambles. Natural disasters - earthquakes and hurricanes have center stage. The political arena is intensifying. What would you have us do, Lord?

STAY THE COURSE!

I revisited our vision statement for the Texas Apostolic Prayer Network. It states: "TXAPN desires to see the redemptive gifts and anointings of the State of Texas flow freely. We desire the people, the history, the culture, and the destiny of the State of Texas to be transformed as the Lord is enthroned in our midst. TXAPN is a statewide and regionwide network of intercessors committed to this call!"

The last statement is the most profound. We are a network of intercessors committed to pray for Texas and the Nation. We are called to pray! And we pray that the redemptive gifts and anointing of Texas is released. What does that mean?

Luke, in the book of Acts writes: "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being..." (Acts 17:24-28a).

Believe it or not, God determined the boundaries and destiny of Texas and all of its citizens. (And by the way, it reads "every nation of men"). And He did it in order to for people to seek Him and to be embraced with His love, mercy, righteousness, joy, salvation and grace. God loves Texas. He desires Texas to be a blessing to the nation and nations. He is our gracious and merciful Lord, Savior and King. When He is seated on His throne (enthroned) over us, we experience all those above mentioned attributes.

Reign over us, Lord. Show Your mercy. Reveal Your truth and righteousness. Overcome evil with Your goodness. We will persevere in prayer. We will walk out our prayers as representatives of Your love and grace. WE WILL STAY THE COURSE!

The Fullness of Deception

2011-08-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I was reading Nehemiah 6 as a part of my daily Bible readings. In my blogs, over the last few months, I have been sharing about new times, new vision and new connections. We are witnessing new doors of opportunity that the Lord has opened before us. We have been instructed on the threshing process which prepares the Lord's body for His work. And what is that work? We are to be His ambassadors of light, mercy, truth, love and goodness in a world that is floundering in darkness, hopelessness, fear and anger.

In Nehemiah, we witness this same scenario of darkness as the walls of Jerusalem were in shambles, and the people were fearful and vulnerable. Nehemiah was sent by God to oversee the building of new walls and gates. The enemies were persistent in their attempts to halt his work. I wrote about some of these attempts in Chapter 13 of my book, Keeper of the Keys.

The Fullness of Deception

At the beginning of Nehemiah 6 we once again we hear about Sanballat and Tobiah—the persistence of our enemy.

Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm. (Nehemiah 6:1, 2)

Come—let us meet together. The greatest scheme of the enemy is compromise. Let’s talk about this—there must be something we can do to work out our differences. It’s sounds good—but in God’s realm there is no compromising with the enemy. NOTE: I’m not talking here about two friends, spouses, co-workers or such that are working out differences of opinion. We are talking about compromising the kingdom.

So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?" But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner. (Nehemiah 6:3,4)

Nehemiah won’t compromise. He won’t waste his time on talking with the enemy. We live in a world defined by political correctness, compromise and tolerance. As I stated earlier, these words are not always bad when we are trying to work wounded relationships. But as we deal with the enemy of our souls – these are deadly. The enemy is persistent. The enemy wants nothing more than to kill, steal and destroy. You don’t compromise with evil. You don’t arrange deals or trades with the enemy or any of his tactics.

I remember a weekend I was serving on a weekend prayer team. As the pastor on the team I was there to give them spiritual direction. We were praying for a group of people going through an intense spiritual weekend of their own. At one point we were praying for one of the leaders speaking at the other retreat. He was very sick. We were praying for his healing when one of my team members declared. This person can not be sick. If anyone needs to be sick – let it be me. I will take their sickness and I give them my health. To say the least I jumped on that immediately. We do not trade with the enemy. We make no deals with the enemy.

Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written: “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, "There is a king in Judah!" Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together. (Nehemiah 6:6, 7)

Sanballat cried out, “It is reported—you are intolerant, you are hard headed, you are a fundamentalist, you are a rebel. You are going to be reported.” Isn’t it intriguing that in the midst of deception the enemy is going to serve notice to the king. This king is the one who trusted and sent Nehemiah. The goal is not truth—but defeat.

Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart." For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done." Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. (Nehemiah 6:8, 9)

Nehemiah perceived the problem and once again went to God. We now reach the final ploy.

Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you." And I said, "Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!" Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me. My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid. (Nehemiah 6:10-14).

Let’s go to the temple and close the doors—secrecy and deception. Nehemiah because of a close intimate and communing relationship with God perceived the deception. He once again turned his enemies over to God.*

The greatest testimony of this story is recorded in Nehemiah 6:16: "And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God." This is our heritage as well. Keep up the work. Press on! Build those walls of righteousness, hope, love, faith, mercy and goodness that protects all of us under the mighty hand of our loving God.

*Used by permission from publisher and author.

A Family Gathered to Celebrate!

2011-08-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was not able to attend the The Response in its entirety. For almost a year we had been planning a celebration for my dad's 90th birthday. The entire family from Texas, Massachusetts and Missouri was able to gather. What a heritage! Happy Birthday, Dad! Mom celebrated her 87th in April! Four generations gathered in Fredericksburg! And by the way - we joined hands and hearts in prayer. We responded as a family to or Governor's call to pray!


The Schlueter Family - August 6, 2011 - Fredericksburg, Texas

The Response Playback

2011-08-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Watch the entire playback of The Response by going to The Response website.

Governor Rick Perry's prayer during The Response

"Lord, You are the source of every good thing, You are our only hope. And we stand before You today in awe of your power, and in gratitude for Your blessings; in humility for our sins.

Father, our heart breaks for America. We see discord at home. We see fear in the marketplace. We see anger in the halls of government. And as a nation we have forgotten Who made us, Who protects us, Who blesses us, and for that we cry out for Your forgiveness.

We pray for our nation’s leaders, Lord -- for parents, for pastors, for the generals, for governors -- that You would inspire them in these difficult times. Father, we pray for our president, that You would impart Your wisdom upon him, that You would guard his family. We pray for our military and the families who love them. Father, especially for those special operators who lost their life yesterday in defending our freedoms.

You call us to repent, Lord, and this day is our response. We give it all to You. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen and amen."

Governor Perry at The Response!

2011-08-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Governor Perry at The Response!

More Thoughts!

2011-08-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Oh well. I thought yesterday's blog was the last of "daily blogs" for awhile, but not so. As I was waking up this morning (got to sleep late after a full weekend), I felt there was something more that needed to be stated about God's intentions.

The big question seems to be: "When will this drought end?" Personally, I believe and declare that it is ending but I need to remember that the last fifty days was not about "breaking a drought" but about passionately kneeling before our Lord as people hungry and thirsty only for Him. He wants our full attention. This is about Him and His kingdom. As powerful as The Response was - it was not intended to be just a one-day spectacular event.

And then I read a word sent this morning by Ginny Bryan (TXAPN Council Member from Waskom):

"Yesterday morning as I stood in the kitchen the Lord stopped me mid stride and said, "I am going to turn up the heat". I felt this was not in the context of actual temperatures but in events that will cause pressure. I also heard him say, "It is not the faithful remnant's attention I am going to get. I will cause every knee to bow. " I could see in the spirit that when there is no place else to go even those who do not, or will not, believe will have to come to him.

I meditated most of the day yesterday on the fact that the Hebrews who lived among the Egyptians as slaves had to endure the pressure of the plagues but in the end the Father did not allow death to touch them. They came out and through whole, healthy and carrying the treasures of Egypt. But I bet they sure didn't like going through all of that stuff either.

Can hardly wait to get to the other side of whatever is coming.

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father "(Philippians 2:9-11).

P.S. For a great report on the response - go to Joel Rosenberg.

A Statewide Call to Pray - The Day After

2011-08-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

The body of Christ gathered in Houston. The numbers were over 30,000. Over 1000 different ministries and churches registered. Untold thousands witnessed the event via internet and direct TV.

I personally witnessed the presence of all races - Native American, Black, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Anglo. I met people from every major continent. As I walked into Reliant Stadium a little after 8 am, I was immediately struck by the sense of anticipation, excitement, unity and worship. This was truly an assembly of the saints. I have been to lot of large church gatherings - but this truly represented our Lord's church.

Because of a previously scheduled family gathering (my entire family from Texas, Massachusetts, and Missouri gathered in Fredericksburg, Texas to celebrate my dad's 90th birthday), I had to leave The Response early about 11:00 am. As I left, hundreds of people were streaming into every door. There was an alluring by our Lord to be drawn into His presence for a time of worship, repentance, fellowship, forgiveness and prayer.

As I was driving west out of Houston, Ken Bryan of Waskom, Texas called me and informed that Governor Perry was speaking. I was able to hear him as He read from God's Word and prayed. Tears were rolling down my eyes. I kept on hearing in my spirit, "This is the tipping point." Many well known and not so known names of the church gathered to pray on the platform yesterday, but it was the courageous faith and actions of our Governor that tipped the scales. He lead us to the throne of God. Many protested his involvement but he did nothing different than kings, presidents, governors and statesmen of the past had done. Our nation is in crisis and he responded. I think it was significant that as I heard Governor Perry's voice over the phone that I was driving by San Felipe, Texas, where Stephen F. Austin first established, by God's grace, a settlement in Texas. Read my blog about San Felipe - especially Branch Archer's comments.

Early that evening, our family gathered around a dinner table in Fredericksburg, and like hundreds of thousands of others - we joined hands and responded to the call to pray. We humbled ourselves under the mighty hand of God and asked for His mercy upon our nation. The best way I can summarize yesterday is this: "We met with our God. We were called to pray and re responded." Now we break through into His promises. Yes, that will include rain!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Our Response!

2011-08-06T03:52:00.000-07:00

Today - wherever you are - RESPOND to the LORD!

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him:

“I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.

2 Chronicles 7:12-16

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Nine

2011-08-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the day! The Lord wants to deal with the heart of our state and nation. We will gather at The Response in Houston to allow Him to pierce our hearts with His love and mercy. Lord, we desire to draw near to You based on Your covenant with us!

We gather here today as citizens of the United States of America and as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our American citizenship being conferred to us by mutual place of birth and residence in God’s providence; our Heavenly citizenship being purchased for us by the finished work of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross in which we corporately trust. We recognize that as members of both this earthly and heavenly kingdom, it is our sacred duty and trust to bridge the gap between our nation and the Almighty. It has fallen to us, and to our watch, to bear witness of His righteous judgments in the face of impending calamity. We now endeavor to sound the trumpet of a watchman thus commissioned by God and stationed upon the ramparts of our great nation. (Ezekiel 33:1-7)

On behalf of our national sins and to any degree in which we have personally partaken we do now repent for:

The Sin of Arrogance and Indifference towards Israel: With chagrin do we attest that the policies of our nation have been in stark contradiction to your scriptural principals regarding your posterity, Israel. Our elected officials mediating on our behalf have continuously attempted to coerce Israel into giving their land into the hands of those who openly declare themselves their enemies. We recognize that it is You, O Lord, who has determined in your Divine Word the boundaries of this ancient and re-born nation. In light of this, neither we nor our government have the authority to demand that Israel give away what you have gifted. In this we have acted presumptuously.

In addition we have remained silent in the face of the deafening cries for the destruction of the Jewish people and their nation which echo from city squares and government halls across the earth. As the Body of Christ we have sinned against Your covenant people as well. By both denying that the covenant made with Israel is eternal and by declaring that the Jewish people need not salvation, we have gravely erred. We have also seen as outcasts those whom are both of Jewish ancestry and believers in our common Messiah, Jesus. The Church shortly after its inception, throughout its history, and even through the reformation, has given itself over to a spirit of anti-Semitism. Willfully have we instituted and enforced the schism between Jewish and Gentile believers. Forcefully has the Church sought to separate itself from the Jewish believers who duly served as a light to the nations, bringing them the Word of God and the revelation of the Gospel. Further, many of the worst atrocities committed against the Jewish people were encouraged, accepted, perpetrated or ignored by Christians. In these things we have sinned against You O God, who are in fact a keeper of all Thy covenants. Genesis 12:3; 15:8 – Numbers 34: 2-15 – Joel 3:1-3 – Zechariah 2:8 – John 17 – Romans 11 – Ephesians 2

Lord we are guilty; we beseech You to have mercy!

Tomorrow, August 6th, we will gather to confess with our mouths the sins of our nation. As You O Lord are the Author and Judge of heavenly Law, it is only Thee who has the right to choose between judgment and mercy. On behalf of our nation, we ask You Lord to consider mercy.

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Eight!

2011-08-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

The Lord wants to deal with the heart of our state and nation. In just a few days we will gather at The Response in Houston to allow Him to pierce our hearts with His love and mercy.

In preparation for that day I would like us to journey through a declaration of repentance that I first read two years ago on Friday, July 31, 2009. The next few days we will walk through this declaration:

We gather here today as citizens of the United States of America and as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our American citizenship being conferred to us by mutual place of birth and residence in God’s providence; our Heavenly citizenship being purchased for us by the finished work of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross in which we corporately trust. We recognize that as members of both this earthly and heavenly kingdom, it is our sacred duty and trust to bridge the gap between our nation and the Almighty. It has fallen to us, and to our watch, to bear witness of His righteous judgments in the face of impending calamity. We now endeavor to sound the trumpet of a watchman thus commissioned by God and stationed upon the ramparts of our great nation. (Ezekiel 33:1-7)

On behalf of our national sins and to any degree in which we have personally partaken we do now repent for:
The Sin of Arrogance and Indifference towards the Poor: With humiliation do we admit that we have failed to embody the purest form of religion – to minister to orphans and widows in their distress. Our appetite for personal convenience has become louder than the innate pang we feel when looking upon a fellow man in the hour of his great need. We have preferred those of ample means while trampling those with meager. In doing so we practically deny the existence of Our Just Creator supposing that we will not be held to account for the compassion we have shown to all of Your creatures. For the sin of neglecting the poor, of selfishly hoarding the gifts that You freely give, and of arrogance against those who have been made stewards over less, we repent. Exodus 22:5 – Leviticus 25:35 – Deuteronomy 15:7 – Amos 4:1-2 – Matthew 19:21 – James 1:27; 2:1-9

Lord we are guilty; we beseech You to have mercy!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Seven!

2011-08-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

We gather here today as citizens of the United States of America and as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our American citizenship being conferred to us by mutual place of birth and residence in God’s providence; our Heavenly citizenship being purchased for us by the finished work of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross in which we corporately trust. We recognize that as members of both this earthly and heavenly kingdom, it is our sacred duty and trust to bridge the gap between our nation and the Almighty. It has fallen to us, and to our watch, to bear witness of His righteous judgments in the face of impending calamity. We now endeavor to sound the trumpet of a watchman thus commissioned by God and stationed upon the ramparts of our great nation. (Ezekiel 33:1-7)

On behalf of our national sins and to any degree in which we have personally partaken we do now repent for:

The Sin of Hypocrisy: With great shame do we confess our profound tendency to allow our speech and our actions to suffer violence one against the other. For allowing ourselves to be called by Your Name while casually denying the responsibility of that calling, we repent. On behalf of the Body of Christ we repent for the sins of preaching purity yet refusing to abstain from immorality; for speaking unity but demonstrating competition and judgment among our fellow saints; and thinking more highly of ourselves then we ought. Above all we repent for allowing Your Name, O God, to be defamed by those who neither know you nor your Son, on account of our actions. Matthew 6:1-5 – Matthew 23:28 – Romans 12:9 – 1 Peter 2:1

Lord we are guilty; we beseech You to have mercy!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Six!

2011-08-02T05:29:00.000-07:00

We gather here today as citizens of the United States of America and as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our American citizenship being conferred to us by mutual place of birth and residence in God’s providence; our Heavenly citizenship being purchased for us by the finished work of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross in which we corporately trust. We recognize that as members of both this earthly and heavenly kingdom, it is our sacred duty and trust to bridge the gap between our nation and the Almighty. It has fallen to us, and to our watch, to bear witness of His righteous judgments in the face of impending calamity. We now endeavor to sound the trumpet of a watchman thus commissioned by God and stationed upon the ramparts of our great nation. (Ezekiel 33:1-7)

On behalf of our national sins and to any degree in which we have personally partaken we do now repent for: The Sins of Sexual Immorality.

With a heavy heart we acknowledge that our nation has opened its arms to embrace practices which You abhor, oh Lord. We admit that in our vain imaginings we Your creation, have sought to unseat You Our Creator, and determine for ourselves proper relations within Your divine order. We confess that rather than being zealous for Your Name and Your Laws oh God, we have instead become complacent and allowed unrighteous men and women to chart our path towards cultural acceptance of these obscene deviations. Further, as the Body of Christ we repent for calling “good” what You have called “evil.” We determine from this point forward not to give utterance to any justification of practices that You have deemed unjustifiable. For the sins of homosexuality, adultery, fornication, pornography and promiscuity we do now repent on behalf of ourselves and our nation. (1 Corinthians 6:9 – 1 Timothy 1-10 – Leviticus 20:13 – Romans 13:13 – 1 Thessalonians 4:3)

Lord we are guilty; we beseech You to have mercy!

The Response

2011-08-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Sharing a letter sent out by Alice Patterson of Justice at the Gate regarding The Response.

Dear Friends,

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s historic national call to prayer and fasting, The Response: For a Nation in crisis, is this Saturday, August 6, when Americans from across the nation will join together on our knees in Reliant Stadium in Houston to repent and pray in one accord to God Almighty for our nation. The doors open at 8 am. The program is from 10 am to 5 pm. Hear Gov. Perry’s personal invitation here: www.theresponseusa.com.

There have been legitimate questions and some accusations about The Response. I’ll attempt to answer some of them here.
Is there a charge to attend or to park? There is no charge to attend, but please visit www.theresponseusa.com and click on REGISTER to register your group to attend. There is a $15 cash charge for parking at Reliant Stadium.

Is this political? No. Gov. Perry approached a friend about filling a stadium with Americans praying and fasting in December. It took several months to find a location. First they tried Cowboy Stadium in Arlington but finally secured Reliant Stadium in Houston. I think the name is significant – Reliant – reliant upon God! Doug Stringer, founder of Somebody Cares International based in Houston (www.somebodycares.org), had prayed about a Joel 2 Solemn Assembly for two years. When he got a call about The Response, Doug knew the time was right.
Here is Tom Billings, Director of Missions for the Houston Baptist Association of churches, speaking with first-hand knowledge about The Response.

Tom Billings

Rev. Carolyn Gilbert, founder of Missionaries with the Vision endorses The Response:

Rev. Carolyn Gilbert
Will Gov. Perry announce a run for President at The Response? No – absolutely not! The Response will be prayer, repentance worship and scripture reading. Although Gov. Perry will have a few minutes on the program, his words will be about prayer, fasting and an appeal to the Lord, calling on our Father in the name of Jesus in unity with all gathered to forgive our sins.
There will be at least two other Governors on the platform praying or reading scripture. There will be no political speeches, which would be illegal for a 501(c) 3 organization to have. There will be some food sold for those who have to eat and lots of bottled water for the thousands who will be fasting. There will be no booths to pass out literature, no sermons and no offering. The Governor initiated the event, but he's not planning it. It's prayer people that are doing the program. And thousands of Christians will travel to Houston to get on their knees before the Lord and cry out to our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in unity. It's not a theological unity or a political unity but an agreement in PRAYER and FASTING that God is our only hope.
When I look at The Endorsers and organizers of The Response, I can find some people that I don’t agree with theologically. Is Gov. Perry endorsing all these different theological views? Should I participate if I don’t agree with everyone who has endorsed The Response? Gov. Perry is not endorsing the Endorsers and the Endorsers are not endorsing Gov. Perry. They’re endorsing a call to prayer and fasting that an elected official initiated. See the diversity here. http://theresponseusa.com/honorary-co-chairs.php
Below is a portion of a response that Dr. Richard Land, noted Southern Baptist leader, penned in answer to the above concerns:

Christians don’t require unanimity on every point to agree that coming together to pray for repentance and blessing upon a nation in crisis is both proper and prudent. Those participating in The Response have serious and justifiable concerns about the state of the culture and America’s very future. As president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s moral and social concerns entity, I often work alongside others who agree on addressing an ethical issue, but whose faith principles may be somewhat at odds with mine. In fact, my denomination’s confession of faith, the Baptist Faith and Message addresses this matter: “Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth” (BFM, XV. The Christian and the Social Order)….

Finally, at the very least The Response’s divergent group of endorsers demonstrates that evangelical Christians are a much less homogenous, monolithic group than the mainstream media has often asserted. Richard Land | Jul 14, 2011 3:31 PM
Headlines from a Christian newsletter states, “News reports reveal that on July 22nd, Governor Perry stated that he has no problem with gay marriage in New York. Are pro-family leaders that have agreed with boycotting secular companies for their support of gay marriage now going to be consistent and boycott Perry's prayer event?” Should Christians boycott The Response? No. We are not asking for agreement on issues, theology or political parties. We’re agreeing in prayer. However, on the issue of marriage, Kelly Shackelford, president of Liberty Institute, which is the Texas affiliate for Focus on the Family, states, “Gov. Perry has always supported the Federal Marriage Amendment. That’s never changed. It’s been public. He was trying to say, but maybe not well, that he favors the Federal Marriage Amendment and that is consistent with the 10th Amendment.”
Below is a link to an article from Christian Broadcasting Network to help clear up the marriage issue.
http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2011/07/28/rick-perry-gay-marriage-is-not-fine-with-me.aspx
I heard that an atheist group filed suit against Gov. Perry for initiating and talking about The Response? Will the atheists succeed? No. On July 28, a federal judge kicked the lawsuit out of court. See: “Huge Win for Free Speech! Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Texas Governor and Prayer Rally” below:
http://www.libertylegal.org/current_cases.php?category=6&article=224

In closing, let me ask for your prayers -- for those working on The Response, for the Endorsers, for those mobilizing for it all over the nation and for Gov. Perry. There is a price to pay for standing and calling the nation to prayer and for aligning yourselves with such a call. People you and I love and trust have been drug through the mud by Rachel Maddow and others on the left. I apologize for this one, but you need to see that the attack is not just against Gov. Perry and those of us working on The Response. It's against the Lord. If you don’t want to see and hear Colbert’s vulgarity, disregard this. Watch the video only at your own risk and only if you cover your heart and mind because of the vulgarity:
http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2011/07/colbert-wants-to-see-a-perry-god-ticket/

May the Lord forgive us and have mercy on those who have no fear of God. Texas has been in extreme drought. Although there has been rain in several places across the state, wildfires still burn in many parts of the state. I wouldn't be the least surprised if it rains and breaks the drought and if the Lord places a rainbow over the gathering of believers humbling themselves before the Lord and confessing our reliance upon God alone in Reliant Stadium.

How can I find transportation from my area? There are buses going from many cities – Lufkin, Tyler, Center, Del Rio, the Rio Grande Valley, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and many other places. I don’t have all the information. There is still room in San Antonio through Cornerstone Church. A $30 ticket much be purchased in advance. Call 210-490-1600 to set up a pick-up and payment time. In the Metroplex, contact Dr. Shirley Clark at Jabez Prayer Network at jabeznetwork@tx.rr.com or (972) 424-2074. Take your church vans, car pool and make the trip to Houston!

What are the most important three words for this national call to prayer? Just show up! By showing up in Houston, you will be making a statement: “I’m crossing denominational, racial and political lines to call upon God Almighty. My prayers may not be heard by the media or anyone else around me, but the Lord will hear. I’m turning my back on the controversy and accusations to turn my face to our Father, who is in heaven, to hallow His name and to ask the Lord to forgive us personally and corporately. May our demonstration of humility, worship and intercession bless the Lord and may He hear from heaven and forgive our sins.
A huge thanks to all who have worked tirelessly to mobilize your area and to pray for The Response. So many of you have tapped your relationships and used your influence to encourage your networks to attend The Response. Every email and phone call is appreciated. I pray even now that plans will be changed to be in Houston. It’s a date with destiny.

Live streaming will be available at www.theresponseusa.com beginning at 9 am CT on August 6.

Gratefully,

Alice Patterson  - President Justice at the Gate 

P.S. Here’s what a Jewish rabbi wrote in The Texas Jewish Post, Thursday, July 28 2011.

Be encouraged! Don’t feel threatened by Perry’s prayer day.

To the Editor,
On Aug. 6, 2011, Texas Governor Rick Perry will host “A Call To Prayer,” an all-day Christian fast and prayer service at Reliant Stadium in Houston, seeking Divine assistance for the health, security and prosperity of our nation. As a rabbi, I was touched by his public recognition of the limited role government can play in fixing problems rooted in the spirit, self-centered values and near-sighted vision. Free pills can’t fix soul-ills. Prayer and fasting—improving ourselves as a means to improve the world around us—is a basic tenet of the Judeo-Christian creed that has made America exceptional in deed, why it has selflessly helped nations in need. It is why America rebuilt Europe after WWII and why it has rebuilt parts of the Middle East as part of its war on radical Islamic terror. It is these values that secularists find most alarming. It is the spirit of this country, the Judeo-Christian value system which inspires the Heartland, that they seek to downplay, discourage and disengage.
Dear Governor, may God find favor in your prayer and may this nation be protected from threats within and without, achieving deliverance that only God can bring about.
Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt, Dallas

A Statewide Call to Prayer! Day Forty-Five!!

2011-08-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

In C.S. Lewis' classic The Chronicles of Narnia, there is a scene in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader where the character Eustace is faced by Aslan the lion (Christ). Eustace is arrogant and independent. He complains and whines. Through an act of greed he has been transformed into a dragon. His redemption is in the hands (claws) of Aslan. One portion reads,

"Then the lion said -- but I don't know if it spoke --'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it. "The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff (the dragon hide) peel off."(Emphasis added, C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, page 65)

We gather here today as citizens of the United States of America and as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our American citizenship being conferred to us by mutual place of birth and residence in God’s providence; our Heavenly citizenship being purchased for us by the finished work of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross in which we corporately trust. We recognize that as members of both this earthly and heavenly kingdom, it is our sacred duty and trust to bridge the gap between our nation and the Almighty. It has fallen to us, and to our watch, to bear witness of His righteous judgments in the face of impending calamity. We now endeavor to sound the trumpet of a watchman thus commissioned by God and stationed upon the ramparts of our great nation. (Ezekiel 33:1-7)

On behalf of our national sins and to any degree in which we have personally partaken we do now repent for:

The Sin of Abortion: With intense sorrow we duly recognize that our nation has chosen the idol of convenience and self indulgence over the precious gift of life. The blood of each child, who although created in the image of God was thought a burden and relegated to a place of refuse, indeed each one of these blood cries out from the ground for judgment. Rather than defending the defenseless we have led them to slaughter. In addition, as the Body of Christ, we repent for allowing the justification of such abominable acts to proceed from our pulpits and declare that there can be no reconciliation between the practice of abortion and the preaching of Your Kingdom! Gen. 4:10 - Psalm 139:13-14

Lord we are guilty; we beseech You to have mercy!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Four!

2011-07-31T05:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Day 43) I spoke of the open door that is set before us. We have a choice of either going through or not going through that door that leads to our destiny. But let me share with you one very important truth about that door, God has been waiting at the door for us!

Last night at the Open Door meeting at the Global Spheres Center, Dr. Robert Heidler shared a teaching about the upcoming month of Av, which starts this evening at sundown. The key thought regarding this month, especially in Jewish history, is the "dire straits. It is a time for passing through the narrow place - the time of testing - the wilderness - in order to enter into the place of your promise, your joy, your destiny and your future in the Lord.

It is a time to press through the open door into joy and celebration. I have taught on this month many times. It is a month of decision. It is a month of difficulty as we journey through the narrow place into the broad and beautiful promises of God. The Jews call it "The Dire Straits." A picture from the teachings of our Lord is "the eye of the needle."

It is also understood by the Jewish world as a month of great curse and sorrow. Why? Because on the 9th of Av the Israelites stood on the brink of the promise. They had exited Egypt. They had journeyed to Sinai. They now stood at Kadesh Barnea and had a door of opportunity and promise opened before them.

AND THEY SAID NO! They listened to the negative report of ten spies versus the faith of Joshua and Caleb and they refused to go through the door. God's response to their response was forty more years in the wilderness. A generation would pass before they would see this door again. It's interesting (and that is a topic for another blog) that this generational curse has plagued Israel ever since. Every major tragedy that has sought to destroy Israel throughout history has all been on the 9th day of Av.

OK, what about us? As we journey through the dire straits - the wilderness - the drought - the testing, and arrive at the open door of our destiny as a state and nation, will you believe God’s promise?
Will you press through this month? On the other side of that "eye of the needle", narrow place or door is your future. Let's go through narrow place to get to the broad expanse of God's promise. You will miss the blessing if you don’t.

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Three

2011-07-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it;for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name." (Revelation 3:7b-8)

It's an Open Door season. As we journey through the wilderness the Lord is breaking off the past. He is sifting and threshing away the chaff. He has brought us to an open door. Chuck Pierce declared last night that when you come before an open door you have three responses.

You can go through more threshing or sifting before you go through!
You can postpone going through the door at all!
OR YOU CAN GO THROUGH THIS OPEN DOOR WITH CELEBRATION AND A SHOUT!

I say, Texas, that we go through with celebration and a shout! Sound the shofar! Let's soar!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Two!

2011-07-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

It's been 42 days. When I was impressed by the Lord to write these blogs, I originally thought it would only be seven days. The Lord had asked me to call a time of prayer for Texas. On the eighth day He extended it until August 5th - the eve of The Response in Houston. He added 42 days to our assignment of prayer -- an assignment akin to Elijah's walk through the wilderness that ended at the Mount of the Lord.

And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. (1 Kings 19:3-8)

As I retired to bed last night I was meditating on this journey. It's been long. During this time period I've been reading the trilogy by Michael Shaara and his son Jeff on the Civil War: Gods and Generals, The Killer Angels and The Last Full Measure. I am approximately 200 pages from finishing and the thought that has been running through my mind and heart is the weariness that has set in on both armies of the war. They "thought" it would be a swift victory. That one battle. That quick strike. But it has gone on and on and on. Tens of thousands have died. The bands accompanying the armies are no longer playing the victory chants but dirges and quiet lullabies.

The wilderness journey is an arduous one. It is not meant to be easy. It tries our soul. It tests our spirit. It pushes our flesh to the limit. Yes, we might live in a microwave, quick paced world, but that is not how the Lord fashions us. Seven days from now we will witness the gathering of God's kingdom in Houston for a solemn assembly. Even as we gather - it is not a quick fix, but another element of our journey in Him as a state and nation.

One more thought. I realized in meditating on the 1 Kings 19 passage above that Elijah's wilderness journey started after he arrived at Beersheba -- the place of covenant. Remember, our journey begins and ends in covenant -- a covenant sealed with our Redeemer's blood. Let's press on toward the goal!

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead... (Philippians 3:12-13)

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-One!

2011-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
I have been young, and now am old
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.
(Psalm 37:23-26)

Yesterday I had the combined joy and sorrow of participating in the 'homegoing" or "coronation" of Floyd Alves. He entered the heavenly courts on July 20, 2011. Beth Alves, his wife wrote, "It was a bitter sweet goodbye. Precious in the way he sat up, smiled with eyes shining brightly, looked upward and reached his hands toward heaven as he left this earth of his heavenly home." Floyd and Beth co-founded Increase International, which was formerly known as Intercessors International. Both of them have been instrumental in the release of God's intercessory and prophetic destiny in my life.

During the memorial gathering I was asked to read a note written by Floyd's daughter, Cindy Divers. At the end of the note she shares the same message that I quoted from Beth above. BUT she goes on to write:

On Monday morning, July 25, I was sitting with Mother while she was working on writing Daddy's obituary. While sitting there I was looking up the two pages of his favorite scripture references he had left behind for us. I had gotten his personal Bible out of his office to use to look up these scriptures. After a couple of minutes of turning page after page, I noticed a familiar smell. It was his smell...a mix of Old Spice and Dial Soap. I lifted the Bible to my nose to take a sniff. Daddy's smell was all throughout the Word of God! Tears came to my eyes as I thought of the unexpected legacy he left behind for us. Daddy had spent so much time in the Word of God that the Word and his smell intermixed with each other. Wow, but that is who my Daddy was....a man who love his Father God more than anything else and spent many many hours with him. Your love and the legacy you left us will remain in our hearts forever.

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. (2 Corinthians 2:15-16)

Why did I share this? As we exit our wilderness journey with the Lord - we will have His aroma!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty!

2011-07-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

We have reached day forty of my blogs. We now stand just ten days away from The Response in Houston. It is a day of fasting and prayer. It is day set aside to bow our knees before our God as a state and as a nation. It is a day to confess our sins and to repent (change our minds) regarding the unrighteous acts that we have performed or agreed with by our lack of response. It is a day to reconcile with Him and with each other. It is a day to bring glory to the Lord's name.

I personally have been asking the Lord to reveal (uncover) those things in my life and ministry that have not honored Him. It is very easy to point out the sins of others. It is hard to ask the Lord to point out those sins in us. And He has. And honestly - I don't like what is revealed. But like it or not, our first response is to bend our knee in humility and confession before our loving and merciful God who desires to correct us in order to redeem and fulfill our destiny in Him.

Now, on this past Sunday morning as I was trying to find a wristwatch that worked, replacing projection lamps and trying to focus on my message for the body, I received another email from Tracy Hamlin. (I really need to talk to him about this). He was sharing about his struggles with the Lord regarding "learning Spanish." And in the midst of it - the Lord gave this word!

“As a nation, the Mexican people have been treated as poorly by the US as any other race or people group. Various atrocities have taken place on their land, and on the soil of the US, so much of which the general populations have no idea about. It is all named AMERICA, and yet there is a massive division that has relegated those from below the river to menial tasks and places of disrespect.

It will take the same level of repentance as was given to the Host Nations to correct and begin to mend the ties between the Spanish speaking people and the people of the US. The people of Mexico have been touted as illegal, and undeserving by a nation, and not given the ample opportunity that anyone else is given. People are people, regardless of race, station in life, or skin color. I created them all, and I love them all and esteem them all in the same manner, enough so to place My Son on the cross for the salvation and redemption of all. I did not once make anyone fill out a form to come to Me, the only qualifier is the blood of Jesus, the Son of the Living God.

I am not condemning political polices and policing for regulatory and safety concerns, I am not endorsing law breaking, but how many of the ones that cry out ‘illegal’ have sin in their lives that goes unconfessed, unrepented. Do you not know that you were brought in to the world as an alien yourself? You are not of this world, and yet, you do not consider yourselves ‘illegal’. The term illegal is not applicable to people. They may be doing an illegal thing, according to the laws of the land which must be obeyed, that is not the issue on My heart, it is the pronouncement of a curse over an entire people because of barriers, geography, hatred, bitterness and strife. My heart is grieved over the throw-away mentality of the governments of some of the states, some of the law-makers that jump on the band-wagon simply for the sake of the popularity contest of politics. It is an evil root that has brought this issue and festered it in the hearts of those that lump themselves into the “white” category. I am not dealing with races, I am dealing with heart issues.

Do you think that I am “white” or “black” or of this nationality, or came from this part of town??? Then why, ask yourselves, WHY would you treat ANYONE as less important, or label them with a derogatory name, when they are created in MY image? Do you not see that you are equally defaming ME by this slurring? You are saying to MY FACE “you did not create these people good enough to be equal to me and my skin colored people”. That is hatred toward ME, now think about that. I am reasoning with the hearts of man, to save the path of judgment that will come on the heads of those that refuse My correction.

So now you ask “Lord, how do we do this?” The same way you have done it in the past. On your face, on your knees, humbled to the point of humiliated, and broken before ME and before those that have been offended. Take this matter seriously, the workers of the land have been poorly treated, and the land has suffered. The native hosts, the original keepers of the land have been replaced by new keepers, and still the same thing is occurring, the land is bearing a curse because the keepers are cursed by the words and pronouncements spoke over them, and by the unjust treatment of those that feel they are in charge. Oh, you must think it a coincidence that the stereo-type exists of landscaping and lawn maintenance - I don’t deal in coincidences. I have placed that in motion, as a means to keep them close to the ground, close to the land, in touch with the land, in working covenant with the land. I do not make a sweeping rash statement about the people, that is a label that has been put on by men, but that has simply been a distraction to this point, so that the eyes of the nay-sayer would not see the connection to the land. But now, you see it.

Now, the land is crying out again to have the curse removed. Now it is crying out for stewardship to be repaired, to be taken over again by the ones that will use the land for My Kingdom. Lands will change hands, in gift, and in deed, and will be used for My Glory. I will fill the Latin houses with joy and laughter, and the stigmas and limitations and low expectations will be broken off of this people. I will say this again- I created man in my image, so look at man, look at ME and see that I am not a race, nor a look, or a color, I am the Creator. I created man, and man has scoffed at My creation. That is not a wise choice, and it is not one that I will tolerate in My Kingdom. Take heed these words, and see to it that repentance is not a matter or method, or a matter of show, but allow me to orchestrate the timing and the place and the proper ones to be in place. You have done measures in the past, but this is much deeper than you first knew, much more close to My heart that you were aware. Return to Me, and see that I am the good God that brings all men to Me through My Son. “

My heart broke before the Lord. I, like everyone else, have my opinions regarding immigration and border control. And I could share those opinions with clarity and resolve. But listen carefully - in this hour as we approach our God with humble hearts - our opinions don't count. Only His! You'll notice that even the Lord was not condemning our need for safety and policies regarding the border and immigration, but His heart is breaking over our heart-view of a people.

During worship, as I reviewed His words regarding "resetting time" and going through new doors, His Spirit prompted me to act. I stopped worship and as an entire congregation we left our worship and walked the length of our building to our fellowship hall. In that room a Hispanic congregation meets. We went before them and bowed our knee in repentance. We honored them. We embraced them. We committed to walk in covenant with them. We have much more to do. We have to walk our talk, but as we journey towards Houston on August 6th - our talk must line with His. This is about Him and His kingdom.

A Statewide Call to Prayer - Day Thirty-Nine!

2011-07-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote that I was going to share something the Lord revealed to us on Sunday morning. I will get to that revelation tomorrow!

In response to yesterday's blog, Charlotte Merschbrock, who oversees the Louisiana Apostolic Prayer Network with her husband Roger, wrote the following:

Tom,

I wanted to share something with you in regard to prayer for rain. I took a look at the national drought monitor this AM. It looks as if the dryness is breaking up a bit, but we’ve got a long way to go. The Lord is continually reminding me, as you have said, this is not just about the dryness of the earth but the spiritual dryness of His people.

Blessings to you and family,
Charlotte

Here’s what I wrote in my journal this morning.

This morning I left for my routine visit to Curves for exercise. The owner began to converse with me and the other ladies about the rain we’ve been having as of late. The Cane River here in Natchitoches, Louisiana, which is the lowest we’ve seen it in the 25 yrs. we’ve lived here, has begun to rise slightly. It’s a long way from normal level, but thankfully there’s been some positive changes. She then made the comment that this rain is almost too late and is actually detrimental to the farmers trying to harvest their hay and corn. She shared about her brother who was concerned that the previous lack of rain had kept him from having enough hay to feed his livestock.

Immediately the scripture came to me from Deut. 11:14 about the Lord giving rain in “due season”: “And it shall be that if you diligently obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.” (emphasis added)

Don’t get me wrong, we’re to be thankful for the heavens opening and the recent rainfall, which has begun to replenish the dry ground. But if you’re one of the ones that have received rain don’t get comfortable or satisfied. We must continue to cry out for the RAIN! There’s still extreme dryness—spiritual dryness in our land. (And from the looks of the US Drought Monitor, the natural land is still drought stricken.)

The very fact that we are seeing rain now is also a reminder that the rain, as wonderful as it is, is “out of season” to produce a fruitful harvest. Deut. 11:14 says not only that He will give us rain but that He will give us rain “in season.” Because we haven’t had rain in season, the Word is telling us that a curse is operating in our land due to the heart of the people—our hearts are not wholly focused on worshiping Him and pursuing Him above all else. Now this is probably not a great revelation to you, but sometimes when we see answers to prayer for rain, we begin to draw wrong conclusions. Yes, God has blessed us by sending the rain, but we still need to see breakthrough! This “dry condition” will not be shifted by a few prayers for rainfall—this is a spiritual dryness. God is looking for a people who will seek Him above all else and who are truly desperate for His presence!

It may be too late for an abundant corn crop along the Cane River in Natchitoches, Louisiana, but it’s not too late for the harvest God wants to release in this season. So we continue to cry out to Him because this is THE SEASON God wants to release the RAIN, a spiritual flood, a deluge of His glory and presence to bring forth an unprecedented harvest.

In this new season we’ve entered, we must keep seeking Him, calling upon Him and believing for the RAIN IN SEASON!!

Thank you Charlotte.

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-Eight!

2011-07-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning was interesting. I was up early as usual as I made preparations for Sunday morning worship at Prince of Peace Church. As I was finishing, I reached for my wristwatch and noticed that it had stopped. I laid it down and went to a dresser drawer where I knew I had other watches. A couple of years ago at Christmas I had received two as gifts. I reached for one and noticed that it to had also stopped. Crazy.

I reached for another and yes, it had stopped. You know the rest of the story. I picked up the fourth and last watch and it too had stopped. Puzzled, and yet knowing that this was not a mere coincidence, I went over to the church with no timepiece. On arriving at the church I realized that I had forgotten an errand. Our projection system bulbs had burned out and I had forgotten to get them replaced early in the week by someone or even by myself. So now I am up on a ladder changing a bulb.

To add to all of this - even though I several different notes before me - I did not know what message the Lord would have me speak. The Lord unraveled it in our midst. During worship, after I had shared my wristwatch story, one of our members, Marsha Allred, brought me a word. She announced that it was for me BUT I knew immediately that it was a word for the entire congregation as well as the kingdom body of Christ in Texas.

The 'energy' that propelled your days in the past has run out. That day is no more. Today I am 'resetting' your days to be powered in a new way. You have been a faithful son - now it is time for you to come up higher - now is the time for you to see with new eyes - speak with a new sound - hear with a new heart - and move in a new power. The flesh cannot take you where I have destined you to go - only by the power of My Spirit. Come into Me, My son. Come into Me. Come into Me in a deeper way then you've ever known. Listen for My sound - for Mt touch - I love you son. You are my true son - my heart trusts you.

Remember! It's wilderness time. The Lord is in the process of removing old things from us. He wants us to hunger and thirst for Him alone! Let go of the old. Close the door to the past. That time is gone.

New power. New time. New bulbs (revelation). It's time to reset! It's time to respond to the Lord with a commitment only unto Him. By the way, it took me longer to get today's blog out because I had to 'reset" our computer and internet system.

Tomorrow I will share a significant event that took place in our midst that relates to Texas and the upcoming Response.

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-Seven!

2011-07-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, let's see. Things don't change much, or as the wise man declares - there is nothing new under the sun. Let's read and meditate together.

The first temptation - Adam and Eve.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?" And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Genesis 3:1-7)

The first temptation - the second Adam - Jesus our Lord!

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:
     ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
      To keep you,’
and,   
    ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, 
      Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:1-13).

So as we journey through this wilderness towards our destiny in the Lord and His kingdom, can we expect anything different? The Lord will test us as He did His people Israel (read Deuteronomy 8) and Satan will tempt us. The Lord is alluring us into His presence and desiring that we will long for and trust only in Him. Satan desires to kill, steal and destroy.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

What is our response to the one who lovingly calls us His own?

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-Six

2011-07-23T05:39:00.000-07:00

Last we began our TXAPN Multi-Region meeting in Alvord, Texas. The Lord broke through into our hearts as we laid down "traditiuonal" forms of worship and meeting. We had no worship team but were simply invited to "dwell" in His presence as a keyboard player exalted the Lord with simple instrumental worship. Words and pictures of the Lord flowed into our hearts.

We then listened to Texas Representative Phil King (District 61 - Weatherford). What a powerful presentation from a powerfully humble servant's heart! I believe a podcast of his talk may be avaialable at some point.

Durring the worship the following prophetc word came forth through TXAPN Council Member Annette Lavender:

And the Lord would say to the faithful remnant of Wise county, all the counties represented here and the state of Texas. I have called you for such a time as this. I have called you to pray and seek my face for the state of Texas, for the nation and for Israel

My eyes search to and fro for a remnant that will hear My voice and heed my instructions

It is time to hear the roar of Judah in this land.

The roar will be heard and I will move on your behalf because you have been faithful

The Lord would say that this is My battle. I will fight the fight for you have sacrificed and been obedient. It is time to take the mountains and for religious structures to bow their knee to my kingdom.

Know that my heavenly host are opening a pathway for you and Holy Spirit will illuminate your path towards a resting place for my faithful servants

It's My time now!

I would also encourage you to listen to the meeting from Shreveport. Chuck Pierce teaches, but he also shares a powerful dream about the lamb and lion that fits this word from Alvord.

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-Five!

2011-07-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

As I have been posting these blogs I am constantly facing, in my spirit, the intensity and importance of this season. I believe that most of us (especially the church at large) are oblivious to the unraveling of events that the Lord is orchestrating. On Monday night, as I joined with about 100 intercessors in the Fort Worth Club for a pre-Response Prayer Gathering, I was overwhelmed by the Spirit as we knelt together in humility. The Lord keeps impressing on me the "shift" or "new place" that is coming.

Then yesterday, Chuck Pierce sent out a letter regarding the season we are walking through. He put it into the context of Glory of Zion moving into the new Global Spheres Center. He wrote:

We are at a place where we are prepared to SHUT THE DOOR AND TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TO THE LAST SEASON and cross the threshold to a new season of opportunity! ...We recognize that we are in the three week frame known as "Between the Straits." Historically, this commemorates the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC and when the Temple was destroyed. Many other calamities have also occurred to Jews during this period, which causes it to be a time for special watchfulness over Israel and Jews in the nations. Since we are grafted into God's covenant promises, we must also be watchful to overcome attempts by the enemy to block us from entering a new door to a new season!

This is a Week of Seeking!  I loved what Tiffany Smith shared on Sunday morning. She came down from the stage and leading worship to share the following word:  "In the book of Job, the last chapter, Job told the Lord, 'I've only lived by rumors of You but now I've seen with my eyes.' There was a change he made with the Lord. I heard the Lord say, 'This is a week of seeking. If you will set yourself apart to seek, I will restore. If you will set yourself apart to seek Me with all of your heart, with all of your face, with all of your might, with everything that You are this week, I'm going to set things in order for your future.'"

This is an incredible word for us right now. Take time to seek the Lord for His plan of restoration! Later on Sunday morning I shared from Mark 4 on when Jesus and the disciples crossed the lake and encountered a great storm. When they landed on the other side, they encountered the man living in the cemetery who was possessed by an evil spirit. (What a welcoming crew!) However, ten cities were converted because of Jesus' willingness to confront this opposition.

For all of us this may be two hard weeks, and it may feel as if we are right in the middle of a storm. But by faith we will get to the other side! This is for us corporately as well as individually. When you get to your other side, don't let demons knock you out and keep you from going through the gate of your future. We are being tested now to go through a gate that will cause us to have ten times the joy, the supply, the freedom, and the authority that we presently have. I am praying that each of us will not only come up to the gate by faith, but will also go through the testings to enter in! 

EXACTLY! And in case you missed it - Jesus is in the boat with us. We will get to the other side. We will experience demonic strongholds. But we will also see the God's kingdom manifest in our midst. Our God reigns!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-Four!

2011-07-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

"The Shift Has Begun - Time to Stand TALL Texas!"

A Prophetic Word to the State of Texas
by Karla Shrake

"Find your places and shift with Me," says your Father. "Know that I have begun to shake everything that can be shaken in the earth and Texas is one of My beginning points. Both things and people will be put into their rightful places, or they will be moved aside. For nothing and no one can stand in the way of My plan for the time is short and I have much that needs to be accomplished, so you must find your places and shift with Me. Shift with Me into new mindsets and realms, shift into working together rather than independently, shift into believing that I am not only able but also willing to do all that I have spoken in My Word. Stand TALL Texas, for it is in your DNA as you were birthed from My loins to be strong and courageous, for there were many righteous in your family ancestry."

"For within the womb of Texas lies a great tidal breaker-anointing that is beginning to swell and gain momentum. Deep within the belly of this great state lies a tsunami that truly shall shake not only the US, but the nations of the earth. For within the courageous bosom of this appointed state lies a Gideon's army, those who are fearless and ready to move at My command!" says the Commander-General of all the earth. "There is a fiery rumbling from the deep, indeed from My innermost depths. And yes even the continental plates are shifting as you witnessed in Japan for the earth has begun to groan with the birth-pangs that precede the return of My Son."

"My beloved Texas," says your Father-Founder "you will not miss this holy moment, your opportunity to be a tool, a weapon in My hand, for I shall use you to smite the enemy who has greatly overstepped his boundaries in this dark hour. Rise up Texas into the greatness for which you were born and conceived! For did I not wire into you from the beginning My fire, My strength, and My purpose? There is much blood that cries out to Me from your soil, blood that was shed in days gone by, by many soldier-heroes and stout pioneers who bravely stood their ground to establish your boundaries and your great land."

"For such a time as this Texas, rise up and take your place among the nations, for while you are one of the fifty US states know that I have separated you out to be a sign and a wonder to represent Me in this hour before not only your own nation which has so badly lost its way, but I have raised you up to stand with Israel in her hour of great need. For this is your calling to put Israel into her proper place of God-given priority and honor and as you continue to do so you yourself will become established in greater stability and ever-increasing honor and financial blessing."

"For I have taken notice," says the Most High "of your Governor, My son Rick Perry, who has rolled out the red carpet of welcome to my first-born in the blessing of the commerce and entrepreneurship of Israeli business owners. This goodwill by your Governor has opened your state to great financial blessing, job growth and strength. And understand dear ones, it was no accident that your coastline, your shores, were protected during the oil leak of 2010 in the gulf. Know most assuredly that I protect and honor those who honor Israel! For the battle-lines have been drawn from long ago as nations rise and fall based on how they treat my first-born, the sons of Jacob."

"And while some of your country's leaders have turned aside from being a faithful friend to Israel, My eyes are upon you because you have courageously stood against the tide of pressure both at home and abroad. Be not intimidated for remember I am the One Who rules in the nations of the earth. Stand your ground for I am with you and I am moving greatly in your midst! As I preserved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace long ago so shall I preserve you Texas. They too had the backbone to refuse to bow to the ungodliness of their day and I Myself stood alongside them in their fiery trial bringing them safely through. Know that I am also pleased to stand alongside you in your challenges."

"It is time to unify, to unite and rally your forces and resources to come together like in days of old. Your wise ancestors and brave pioneers understood well the power of unity as neighbors joined with neighbors and communities with communities in the fight for good and for survival. For as you come together, great will be the increase of your strength, effectiveness and impact. Prefer one another in love and look to Me to see where, how, and through whom I am moving for I am moving strategically during this season of time. For I hear the battle-cry of those who've gone before who've stood for good, fairness and right, both their blood and their prayers have come up before Me as a memorial-remembrance. My right hand is raised and ready to move over your state."

"Surely Texas, this is your appointed hour to rise up into that place I created long ago for you, a place of great influence, leadership and courage.   The thundering sound of righteousness shall arise from within you and resound throughout the land, not only within your own state borders, but from sea to shining sea, bringing hope to the hopeless and light that shall pierce the darkness. You will become a role-model for others to emulate. For you were born to be a living torch in My hand, a firebrand for good," exhorts your proud Father.

"Gird up your loins and run with Me for I have appointed you to lead the way. I am sending strength and empowerment to run and I am sending winds, fresh winds of destiny and purpose to refresh you and lift you. Winds from heaven are being sent to clear the air, to blow away the choking smog of confusion and complacency that have settled upon your state and even upon many of your leadership."

"I am clearing the air," says the Most High, "because your Governor has honored Me by honoring Israel and also by dedicating days of prayer and a place for prayer within your state. This greatly pleases Me My children for this is the only way your land can be healed and rescued from the darkness that has infiltrated like a thief in the night."

"Pray for your Governor," exhorts the Lord of Hosts, "for I desire to use him and raise him up. Pray for his protection and for those around him, for all that concerns him in this critical hour, for he is Mine. For such a time as this I will position and use him according to My desire, so get behind him and pray daily. He is a key player in the shift that must take place, indeed that has already begun issuing forth from My innermost chambers."

"In My Word did I not exhort you to pray for those in government? So   P-R-A-Y Texas! Bless him unto My plan and purposes which will continue to unfold before you. Do not stay on the sidelines in futile speculation, but rather let your vote be counted in the courtroom of heaven by taking your place of governing authority on your knees in prayer and fasting to bless what I am blessing in your midst! I consider your Governor to be My friend because he is a friend to Israel. Did I not say I would bless those who bless Israel?"

"Know that all stems and flows from Jerusalem, from Israel and its boundaries and land for I am forevermore married to this land! I am making note of those who cry out to preserve and protect My land and its people. Those who do so will be preserved and protected though there will be challenges and trials in the days ahead. When the land of Egypt suffered plagues long ago under Moses' leadership did I not preserve and protect Israel and even liberate them? Have I not always preserved and honored My faithful ones, My righteous? For as you hold fast to Me in this critical hour of human history know that you shall not only be preserved, but you shall surely overcome," comforts your Father.

"But run and run quickly into the highways and byways of the earth to save the perishing, to tell them of My Son's blood, the only pathway of redemption and rescue. Tell them of My Father's heart of love for them and how I yearn to spend eternity in sweet fellowship with them. Please dear ones, as you go in the power of the Spirit raise up the banner of My love, for multitudes are in the valleys of decision. I deeply desire they find their way back home to the rescue-ark which has been prepared for them through the atoning blood of The Lamb Yeshua/ Jesus. I so love each and every one in all the nations and cultures of the earth! You must gather the precious harvest while it is still day, for there comes an hour when no man can work, and midnight is fast approaching."

"I love you Texas," says your Father, "and be assured that My signet ring of blessing is upon you as you labor for My name, My cause and My people Israel."

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-Three!

2011-07-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

Tracy Hamlin is a dear friend from Oklahoma. Yes, Texans can love Oklahoma! He is a member of Church on the Rock in Oklahoma City where my mentor and friend, Dr. John Benefiel serves. John also apostolically oversees the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network, with which TXAPN is covenantly aligned.

Tracy sent me the words of this song which he wrote (Ryan Kirkpatrick of Church on the Rock set it to music). I believe it speaks of our great desire to see the Lord restore rain to our land. But is about more than rain. It speaks of the flood of God's Spirit and the transforming of our state and nation into kingdom transformation.

The Smell of the Rain
Words by Tracy Hamlin ©2009

Verse 1

I hear a sound, like a roaring thunder.
I see the clouds, so full of wonder.
I smell the rain, coming nearer.
I hear Your voice, becoming clearer.

Chorus

Rain, rain, we need Your rain.
Flood us Lord, with Your Spirit.
Marking the ground, taking over this land.
We give ourselves, into Your hands.
Rain, rain, we need Your rain.

Verse 2

Revival comes, the floods show it now.
Transform us Lord, You’re teaching us how.
Reaching into the earth, You’re lifting the curse,
Come live among us, abiding forever.

The smell of the rain, overwhelming rain, the flooding rain, the refreshing rain.
Holy Spirit rain, send down the rain, we need Your rain, the refreshing rain.
Send Your rain! Send Your rain!

Raining in Austin, Texas

TXAPN Regional Event - Trinity and Rolling Plains

2011-07-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is a gathering of the Trinity and Rolling Plains Regions of the Texas Apostolic Prayer Network. Everyone from the State is welcome! You can check out the area covered by these regions at www.txapn.org/regions. TXAPN Regional Gatherings focus on the issues of those regions as well as the entire state of Texas.

Friday night will be a time of corporate worship and prayer. Texas Representative Phil King will be one of our special guests as well as members of the Comanche Nation. Dr. Thomas Schlueter of TXAPN and Connie Swain of Wise County Prayer Network will be presenting. The agenda is still being created.

Where:
New Vision Ministries
112 CR 2395 (just off of Hwy 287)
Alvord, TX 76225
940/627-2795
www.nvministries.org

When:
Friday, July 22nd at 7:00 pm
Saturday, July 23rd at 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Hotels:
Rooms at Hampton are being held under TXAPN. The rooms at Holiday Inn Express are held under New Vision Ministries.

Holiday Inn Express
877/859-5905
1051 N. Hwy 287, Decatur, TX 76234
Room Rate $85.00; Release date July 15th

Hampton Inn and Suites
940/627-4900
110 S. Hwy 287, Decatur, TX 76234
Room Rate $89.00; Release date July 1st

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-Two!

2011-07-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

The following is a portion of my book, Return of the Priest*. You can read all of it by going to Return of the Priest.

“So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." (2 Samuel 6:10-12a).

Obed-Edom

Who is Obed-Edom?   We don’t know much about him. He was probably a farmer. He might have been a shepherd. He might have been a small business owner. We don’t know. The Bible doesn’t tell us. All we are told is that he is a Gittite. The Gittites were people from the town of Gath. We’ll find out later that Obed-Edom was also a son of Korah. The Korahites were of the tribe of Levi and would be given the responsibility of being the gatekeepers of the Ark of the Covenant. The gatekeepers guarded the entrance to the temple and protected the Ark. We have to remember that. It is going to be very significant later in showing us what God does with this very common man.

Here is Obed-Edom sitting in his living room watching “Monday Night Football.” All of a sudden there is a knock at the door. And there is King David at his door backed up with 30,000 military troops. And the king says, “Could we keep the Ark of the Covenant in your living room for a while?”

Imagine being asked, “Can the Ark of God stay in your home for a while?”
    “Well, yeah, I guess.”
I don’t know what I would have said if I had been Obed-Edom. Possibly he had already heard what had happened to Uzzah outside.
Why would I want that thing in my house?
My kids play in this living room.
If one of them touches it, he’s gone?
Why would anyone want the Ark in his home when the king, himself, doesn’t want it in his city? But, we know that the Ark stayed at Obed-Edom’s house. We know that it stayed there for three months. And we know that during that time everything in Obed-Edom’s life was blessed.

Everything. The Scripture says it twice.

Everything that belonged to Obed-Edom was blessed.

Imagine everything that belongs to you being blessed. Start listing it off. .
your family.
your finances.
your business.
your house.
your oxcart out parked out front.
Everything!

Every aspect of your life. All the relationships in your life. God is blessing everything that relates to you.

Nothing entered into Obed-Edom’s house as a curse or as a lack of blessing for three months. Imagine what his health was like. Imagine what his crops were like. Everything was going right for this man. All that belonged to him was blessed.

For a good Hebrew man and a good Hebrew woman, what was the greatest sign of blessing in life? Children. Hold onto that. We’ll come back to it.

So, here is a farmer or a shepherd, a Gittite, a common man – and he has the Ark of God, the Ark of God’s presence in his house for three months.

Here is Tom’s paraphrase of verse 12, “Now they told King David, ‘Hey, Obed-Edom is getting his socks blessed off.’” So, David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David.

We just need to linger here for a moment. Consider the commonness of this man.

What would YOU do if God’s Ark and God’s presence was in your home for three months and everything about you was blessed, and then a knock comes on your door again and they say, “We’re taking the ark into Jerusalem.”

What would you do? Everything in your life has been blessed by God’s presence, and now that presence is leaving. What grief must have been in Obed-Edom’s heart! But, I have a sensing that Obed-Edom didn’t wait long before he had his family packed up and ready to go after the procession to Jerusalem.

“We’re not going to stay where we are,” Obed-Edom’s family must have said.
“We’re going after the Ark. All of our family, all of our household, we’re going to pursue the Ark of God.”
Why? Because Obed-Edom had been forever changed by God’s presence.
We have to realize that the issue here is NOT…
Oh, God, I could use a changed life or
        Oh, God, I could use everything in my house being blessed.
The issue is “Oh, Lord, what I need is You.”
Leave the rest up to Him.

Why Obed-Edom? The story of this simple man is woven into a bigger story which describes King David's wrong plan for bringing the Ark into the city versus the right answer. I believe with all my heart that our walk (wilderness journey) to Houston and The Response is "THE RIGHT WAY." We are gathering for a solemn assembly to meet before our God on behalf of our state and nation. Let us heed the call to gather - whether in person or by internet. With all our heart - LET US PURSUE GOD AND HIS PRESENCE!

*Used by permission by author and publisher.

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty-One!

2011-07-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

I started this "Statewide Call to Pray" on June 17 as my spirit responded to the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. See "A Statewide Call to Prayer."

Immediately after that great victory against their enemies of God, the rain comes with force. Elijah outruns Ahab's chariot back to shelter. When Ahab returns, he reports the day's activities to Jezebel.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:1-9).

Well, the attacks are coming as we journey towards The Response! Lawsuits are being filed. Negative articles are being written. Governor Perry and his "Army of God." are being targeted.

What should be our response? We already know the answer (and it is not running away into the desert). Our response is The Response. It is to humbly present ourselves before our Lord and God. It is about seeking His face and praising His name. Let us persevere in prayer for Governor Perry. This is a great risk for him that he is willing to take to honor God and to pray for our state and nation. Pray for all of those in leadership and those who are actively endorsing the gathering. Pray that we will be wrapped in a spirit of humility, righteousness, joy and mercy - not only as we press on to meet with God, but especially as we walk among those who do not understand. Pray for them. Bless them.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The Lord is recalling to my spirit a song that we sang when we gathered with the Arkansas Apostolic Prayer Network about a month ago in El Dorado, Arkansas. It is written and arranged by Pastor Rory Green and is called Cry Glory (based on Psalm 29). One portion reads:

Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones

Ascribe to the Lord, glory and strength

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name

Worship the Lord in His holiness

The Lord speaks over the waters

And the God of Glory thunders

The voice of the Lord is powerful, majestic and mighty

It breaks open the heavens

Lightning is flashing

Deserts are shaking

Bare oaks are thirsty

All His people cry glory

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Thirty!

2011-07-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a word of the Lord given to Tracy Hamlin of Oklahoma City on July 14, 2011.

AFTER THE RAIN

I inquired of the Lord what happens next, ”after the rain”, (a friend of mine that serves as my armor bearer had mentioned that heading on Elijah List, and it caught my spirit, so I inquired) and He said “the harvest”. I chewed on that for a bit, and then He said “but first, the growing season." The rain brings the growth that brings the harvest.” I got the impression that this was related to wealth, and awakening, both. Here’s the rest of what He spoke to me:

You are entering a season of growth. Because of the prayers for rain and the divorcing of the evil entities and iniquities, the rain has come, the rain (reign) is coming, and the rain (reign) will come. Growth is the natural result of rain, and harvest is the reaction to the growth. In natural terms, enlarge your vats, enlarge the tents, and enlarge the warehouses and storehouses. Enlarge your tools; widen the swath of the harvesters. Widen your scope of the field, widen your vision field. In natural terms, grow that place that will hold the harvest, and prepare the place for the overflow.

You will need more than what you think. Enlarge your thinking. This is not simple math, this is exponential. Where once 1 would produce many, 1 will produce innumerable. It will not be for counting that you see the overwhelming harvest come, it will be for moving and redistributing. Wealth is the tool for harvest, so be ready to take it in and store it for distribution. Growth, then harvest.

Now is not the time to get overly anxious and pluck the green plant from the ground prematurely, or to eat your seed. Harvest brings more seed, along with meat to eat, so continue on, continue to renew covenant with the land, with the earth, with the heavens, with Me. Continue to remind the demonic structures that there is no right to come in to your harvest and your seed any longer. The thief will repay, but first he will stop stealing. You have been stolen from for so long, that even when that stops it will seem as if the increase has come. Recovery is on it’s way, be prepared for the turning of the tide, the shift in the flow. It will no longer go out from you without returning, but when you give, it will come back in a harvest way.

This is a new season for many - you have not ever seen the likes of harvest, but have had to eat your seed to survive. No more. Seed will be placed in your hand to plant, no longer to eat, until it is the product of harvest! I will bring the rain! I AM BRINGING THE RAIN! Rejoice in the rain, be refreshed by the coming season, but be cautious not to linger and become lethargic – there is much work to be done in the harvest. Enjoy the harvest, be fattened by the increase, but don’t become complacent – there needs to be replanting. I have set creation with cycles, so be aware of the season you are in, while preparing for the next. It is foolishness to think that it will always be sunny, or always be cold. The seasons will exist forever, and it is the wise man, the wise CHURCH that plans for the next while working the present.

Expand the gathering place, enlarge the meeting place, for I am preparing you to harvest, and there will be need of more seating and more gathering places. This is a word for My CHURCH, prepare the gathering teams. Prepare the ones that will train the ones that will harvest in the NEXT harvest. RAIN is good, but HARVEST is the goal. While the harvest is being readied, be vigilant to tend the growth and watch the field for pests and things that would distract from the harvest. You know well the wheat and tares, but there is more strategies the enemy has to choke out and detract from the harvest while the growth is taking place. I am showing you those tactics so that you can be aware and prepare to counter attack those points. It will be vitally important to go geographically to the source to deal with some of these things as the place of their conception. Pests are not born in your field, they are born somewhere else, and come into your field in the opportune manner and the opportune time. If you destroy their birthplace, then they never come to your field, and will not affect your harvest. Seek the root, seek the birthing place of the root of pestilence and destroy it. Tear it down, tear it down and destroy its foundation. Is this literal? Yes, there will be literal structures that will be torn down, on the earth, in your midst, and I will repurpose that land for MY harvest, whereas it has been used to foster the enemy’s destructiveness. I am bringing the rains again… be aware of why, and prepare for the next work.

A Statewide Call to Prayer - Day Twenty-Nine!

2011-07-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

It's amazing! I was on vacation and still drove over 1100 miles of Texas. And it was glorious. A real time of rest with the family. BUT Texas is definitely in a drought. Unless you drive throughout the state you don't get a true perspective of how ravaged the land is.

It truly looks like a wilderness - a desert - that is crying out for a drink. But let me share another picture of wilderness.

Webster defines wilderness as (1) a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings, (2) an area essentially undisturbed by human activity together with its naturally developed life community, (3) an empty or pathless area or region, (4) a wild or uncultivated state, (5) a confusing multitude or mass : an indefinitely great number or quantity, or (6) a bewildering situation.

Well, let me add this - the endless amount of water that stretched out before us as we fished on the Gulf of Mexico. Memories of high school memorization assignments swept over me as I recalled Coleridge's famous words from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: "Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink." And to top that - there were no fish to be caught. I joked later with my family, "I guess even the fish are fasting and praying," since none were interested in our awesome looking bait. So much water. No end in sight. It gives you an overwhelmed sense, much like the overwhelmed feeling of the heat and dryness that strikes you in the face when you step out of your home or car.

Two passages flooded into my heart!

Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; 
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.  
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; 
The God of glory thunders;  
The LORD is over many waters. 
The voice of the LORD is powerful; 
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. (Psalm 29:2-4)

Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts  
That the peoples labor to feed the fire,
And nations weary themselves in vain?  
For the earth will be filled  
With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,  
As the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:13-14)

Those endless waters can overwhelm us with "wilderness" feelings but they also remind us of the nature of our God. In our wilderness walk He wants to remind us to "draw only unto Him as your help and salvation." I just saw one of those famous church signs as we drove up to our home last night. It read "Even in a drought, the Lord still reigns." Yes He does. And this is about His reign and His kingdom. Like everyone else, I am pleading for rain, but I am more anxious for our hearts, like drought seared ground, to cry out for the reign, the presence and the kingdom of our God.

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Twenty-Eight!

2011-07-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

On to Washington D.C.

“Our time at the Lincoln Memorial culminated a journey that began 11 days before, when our three teams began their respective journeys towards Gettysburg and Washington DC. Together we touched 17 states with an assignment to pray through historic wells of awakening and Civil War battlefields, believing God for a historic move of Holy Spirit awakening and union. This is pictured in Ezekiel 37, where the prophet stands on a barren battlefield and calls for God’s awakening winds. An “exceeding great army” emerges!” (Taken from Jon Hamill’s field report for CONVERGE GETTYSBURG)

It rained Sunday evening in Frederick, Maryland. When you’re in the wilderness rain is an awesome sight. We didn’t make too much of the rainstorm until we headed to Washington Monday morning July 4th. It quickly became apparent that the heavens had been shaken by the action of the teams traveling across this nation as we pulled onto the Interstate headed south to D.C. The roadside was covered with limbs and debris all along our route. It was almost as though the storm had traveled down the road before us, straight into Washington. Over the years as we have neared the end of an assignment it has become common place for a strong wind to blow across our path. We now call this wind “the finishing anointing”. If that was what Tom and I were witnessing July 4th, then this assignment was was going to finish with a bang.

As we stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with the CONVERGE GETTYSBURG teams I was taken back to April 2008 prior to this past presidential election. I had stood in this very spot as part of an assignment in Washington. The next phase of that assignment was to pray at the White House. It was late in the evening when we arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There were very few people gathered that time of the day. I noticed a guard leave the gate house and walk out into the street. (If you are a guard at a gate I think we can assume you are a gatekeeper). I approached the guard and asked permission to pray at the gate leading into the White House. Without hesitation permission was granted and protocal was in place. Remember April 2008 was before either party had picked a candidate for President. My prayer was this, “Lord let the next man who fills this office come to the place where he realizes that the only hope for this nation is You. Let him humble himself, fall on his knees and acknowledge that You God are the only one with the answers to the problems facing this nation”.

I bring this up today because I heard these very words spoken Wednesday. The words did not come from the man in the Oval Office. Instead I heard these words on a conference call. They were delivered by Texas Governor Rick Perry. There was no political or religious agenda attached to the words, just a humble voice speaking truth to the situation this nation faces today. I am making no correlation between what I prayed in April 2008 and what Governor Perry spoke Wednesday, I’m only reporting what I witnessed. Governor Perry’s conference call was to share his heart and explain why he called for “The Response” August 6th at Reliant Stadium in Houston. As Tom stated in closing the blog yesterday, the troops are being mustered. The clarion call has been given and the time for “the church” to respond is now. I urge you to make plans today to attend this event. We’ve come to a place in this wilderness experience where we want to be counted as the ones who answered the call and stood in humility and unity crying out to God for a sovereign move to awaken this nation.

Ken Bryan
kenshire@eastex.net

Go THE RESPONSE and respond!

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Twenty-Seven!

2011-07-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hamills of Lamplighter Ministries

First off I want to acknowledge Jon and Jolene Hamill for their hard work in organizing and conducting this portion of the 11-11 Campaign, CONVERGE GETTYSBURG. It was their plan that served as the catalyst to position Tom and I for the work the Lord was calling us to in the region.

During one of the meetings Tom and I heard a message by Bishop Harry Jackson. Bishop Jackson ministers in the Washington D.C. area, and has a network of churches around the country. He has been fighting the battle against same sex marriage and is facing persecution from many sides, including some churches. His message addressed the use of the title apostle and how common place it has become today. He very clearly articulated specifics to the office of apostle and how it functions and brought forth some truths that the church must hear in this hour in order to advance.

Bishop Jackson’s point was that not every one who calls themselves an apostle actually has the grace to function in that office. Scripture confirms this message in Revelation; “And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not,…” (Rev. 2:2 NKJV) This message carries over to all the offices and functions placed in the church. We are going through a time of testing in this wilderness experience. When we walk out of the wilderness it will be time to function at a level of maturity that forces us to correct issues that have kept us from advancing in past seasons.

When we look at the wilderness experience of Jesus we begin to see what to expect when we emerge from the wilderness. He came out of His wilderness testing and returned to Nazareth knowing that a change had taken place. Those in Nazareth couldn’t identify the change because nothing appeared different in the natural. Jesus had spiritually stepped into destiny and was now functioning in His calling. We are at a place now where we should be operating in and utilizing the gifts, not just teaching about them.

When the CONVERGE group had gathered on the battlefield at Gettysburg to complete their assignment I took time to walk up to one of the statues on high ground occupied by the Union forces.

From this vantage point it was evident that the Confederate forces were against insurmountable odds. As I left the statue and walked back to the group the Lord began to speak and revealed what occurred during the three day battle. First General Lee had succumbed to pride. His forces had experienced numerous successes and he had begun to feel they could not be defeated. Second, Lee was not listening to counsel. The Lord put it this way, “the apostle did not listen to the prophets”. General Longstreet told General Lee numerous times that this was not the time or place to face the Union forces. Let me assure you here the Lord was not commenting on the outcome of the Civil War or calling General Lee an apostle. He was drawing a comparison using historical facts to show me what can occur when we don’t function correctly in our offices and gifts. In this three day battle over 50,000 soldiers lost their lives.

I got the point. Whether everyone in this nation realizes it or not we are going through a wilderness experience. We do not know the outcome, but we do know there will be one. Our job as “the church” is to emerge from this experience changed. It is imperative that we function at a new level of unity and mature recognizing and utilizing the gifts God has given us. There is a purpose, there is a cause. In the days ahead it will not matter what it looks like in the natural, we must know what has occurred in the Spirit and function accordingly.

Ken Bryan
kenshire@eastex.net

Post Script from Tom - Along with pride and lack of vision (or counsel), another major roadblock to victory was an army that was scattered along a line many miles long that had very little communication or cooperation. As the Lord musters His troops this day - we must move together with humility, vision and cooperation - the very points by which the Lord defined the TXAPN network when we were set into place in Austin in June 2007.

As I return from vacation in a couple of days I will be sharing on revelations the Lord has made to me "on the coast."

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Twenty-Six!

2011-07-13T04:18:00.000-07:00

The Texas Monument at Antietam

I sure appreciate these friends helping post blogs during my vacation. Thanks Ken.

On to Antietam

One thing there is plenty of in the wilderness is time. As reported yesterday Tom and I had completed our assignment at Gettysburg and had time before we headed to Washington D. C. This being my first trip near all of these battlefields Tom thought we should check out Antietam with this time we had. The same Texas units that fought at Gettysburg had also fought there.

Tom talked to James Nesbitt and found that Antietam was just a short distance from our hotel. We had our plan for Sunday morning. It wasn’t until we got in the car the next morning that we found out God also had a plan. Those of you who are burden bearers (I’m not one), can relate to what happened next. As Tom started to move the car I asked him to wait, the Lord started releasing a word that described His plan for us that day. Funny we had simply taken the “next step” and the Lord had us positioned for His plan. The word we received carried the weight of the burden we were to be under throughout the morning. We didn’t talk much after that we just drove.

Once we reached the battlefield we acquired the necessary maps and headed to the Texas monument. The monument was located on the road at an area now know as “the cornfield”. It was at this location that the Texas 1st Infantry lost 82.3% of their men. The total loss of life at the Battle of Antitum was over 23,000 for both the North and South. As we walked over to the Texas monument Tom said “Go ahead and release what the Lord’s giving you”. I tried, but under the weight of the burden I was now feeling all I could do was weep. As my tears fell on the red granite Texas Monument I could only get out verbally, “Tom, you’ll have to speak into this”. Tom prayed and declared under the same weight but he was able to articulate what was on the Lord’s heart as he spoke.

The Cornfield

We left and went on to “the bloody lane”, then up to the observation tower to look out over this vast area of blood soaked ground. It was to be later in the day before the weight lifted off of us. With the time I’ve had here in the wilderness I can now reflect and see the Lord’s hand in positioning His people for this next season. I go back to Tracy Hamlim’s word of last August, “I have set Texas as the anchor. If Texas falls the nation falls”. But here Tom and I stood at the very locations where Texas had fallen.

But today was different. God was resetting the clocks and calling forth a new order. Today was a glimpse of what it looks like coming out of the wilderness. This journey was never about Tom Schlueter and Ken Bryan; this was and is about the Lord’s proper alignment in the Kingdom (land on the other side of the wilderness). Thru Tom and I, the Lord had prophetically joined together the North and the South, the Apostle and the Prophet, sent us out from Texas “the Prophet State” that had fallen and said “ Now bring order to this chaos, weep over the lost destinies of the generation that perished on these battlefields and redeem all that was lost. Today something was different. In the natural there were well over 150 people attending the 11-11 Campaign meetings, praying on the battlefield at Gettysburg so the area was covered in prayer and I’m not discounting 148 years of prayers and tears shed over these grounds. But as we step out of the wilderness everything will change. Natural eyes can’t see it, but in the Spirit Realm we will be called to walk in our offices taking only the “next step” and behold what G-d will do.


The Bridge at Antietam

We’re on the downhill side of the wilderness. There’s just a little over two weeks left until “The Response” in Houston. Governor Perry is standing in his office and whether he knows it or not he is positioning Texas for coming out of the wilderness. I reference Tracy’s word again, “Texas has taken in and taken in, in a sponge like fashion, quick to soak up every wind of doctrine and religious fad, but now Texas will give, give and give some more, of My Spirit, of My knowledge, of My wonders. The nation will look at Texas and the consensus will be ‘well if it’s happening in Texas, it must be real’ and will cause so many other states to take ownership over the assignments I have given. The “promised land” is before us, I report as one of two that have seen a glimpse, there are others. The shift in the Spirit is occurring. On to Washington D.C.

Ken Bryan
kenshire@eastex.net

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Twenty-Five!

2011-07-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

Wanderings in the Wilderness - Today's blog is written by Ken Bryan of Waskom.

In an earlier post Tom referenced a word given by Tracy Hamlin in August last year. Because I had accidentally found this word again as I was switching brief cases in preparation for our trip to Gettysburg and DC I felt compelled to bring it along to review. More on this later.

What I’m seeing today is the Lord’s design for moving effectively in the Kingdom in the coming days. Early on as the information came in on the 11-11 Campaign, I did not feel led to make the journey from New Orleans and cover the entire distance. Wanting to support the mission I did discuss sending one of our team members and it was our intention to put that plan into action. But the closer the time got for final confirmation, nothing felt right.

In the middle of working to hear clearly what the Lord would have us do Tom called me to discuss our part in the Campaign. In our discussion I shared that originally when I realized I could not make the entire trip I felt that he and I would join the group at Gettysburg then journey with them to Washington D. C. Turned out that was what he was receiving, but we decided to take this plan back before the Lord for final confirmation. The next day Tom called with historical information that Lt. Colonel K. Bryan from Texas fought at “Little Round Top” in the Battle at Gettysburg. We were beginning to hear now. My wife Ginny took Tom’s information and did more research finding the actual Field Report of the battle fought by the Texas 5th infantry and how LTC. Bryan had taken command when the commanding officer had fallen.

Now back to Tracy’s word. In the center of the prophetic word are these sentences, “The next step is simply the next step. Don’t be concerned with two-steps ahead, but take the step right in front of you”. That’s where Tom and I found ourselves, it was time to take the next step. We booked our flights. Here’s where things took an unusual turn. Only Tom and I were going. Normally Ginny and Kay would have accompanied us or team members would have been part of this trip but not this time. God’s plan was now in place, our job turned out to be each day “take the next step”. We pressed through and got to the meeting in Gettysburg Friday night just as the meeting started. From the beginning Tom and I both we’re having a wilderness experience. Surrounded by the teams that had traveled from east, south and west, we seemed to be out of step with the meeting.

After the meeting our discussion centered on the purpose for our being part of this journey. Once again we had taken the next step. The answer was we had a specific assignment in Gettysburg that had not been revealed to us before we set feet on the ground. Tom called Apostle John Benefiel to relay our orders for the next day. John blessed us and confirmed we were on track. Saturday morning we set our course for the Gettysburg Battle Ground and “Little Round Top”. For those of you who don’t know, Tom’s from Iowa and I’m from Texas. Here we were North and South walking in unity back to the place of division and devastation that had torn this nation apart. Enter the Lord. I can’t explain it, I don’t even try but in the spiritual realm Tom and I were being called to stand in our offices of Apostle and Prophet and to take the next step. We needed to hear then speak what the Lord would have us release over this ground.

148 years ago to the day we were now standing on the very ground that had been saturated with bloodshed. A new foundation was being laid and Texas the “prophet state” had infantry on the ground. As we made the climb to “Little Round Top” I looked out over the battle field trying to take in the vastness of humanity that would have covered this land. Tom moved to the sight of the New York infantry just as a guide was speaking to a small group. The guide said, “General Lee said those Texans are always on the move” just as Tom stepped up beside him. He was right, Texas is on the move. Back to Tracy Hamlin’s word, “Don’t simply rejoice at the rubble of the altars to Baal, but build an altar to Me in the middle of the enemy’s camp. We built an altar at “Little Round Top” where once an enemy of Texas had camped and won a victory. We passed no judgment, we worshiped, we prayed and we declared. We stood in our offices, we asked no questions and we walked in obedience. Today’s assignment was complete and tomorrow it will be time for the “next step”. The Lord is doing something different and we can only walk it out one step at a time.

Ken Bryan

PS by Tom

During worship this past Sunday, the Lord reminded me of what Ken and I had done at Little Round Top through the words of Robin Mark's song "Take Us To The River" - Verse Two.

"Take us to the throne room
And give us ears
To hear the cry of Heaven
For that cry is mercy
Mercy to the fallen sons of men
Mercy it has triumphed
Triumphed over judgement
By Your blood
Take us to the throne room
In the city of our God"

CCLI 299683

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-Four

2011-07-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Merrie Cardin of Granbury for today's blog.

It is my conviction that the typical American Christian is a bit mixed up about hope. I confess to my own weakness in having propensity to connect hope with circumstances which “I” hoped for. Actually, Romans 5 tells us that true hope springs out of tribulation, patience and character. As we draw near to The Response let us focus our hope on the ONE we are responding to. He is alluring His people to Himself as He allows us to connect our hope solidly to Him who brings the rain. The prophet Hosea heard the Lord speak of treasure in a wilderness. He saw and spoke of the Father “alluring” a people to Himself in a wilderness and causing covenant love to be restored.

'Therefore, behold, I will allure her,

Will bring her into the wilderness,

And speak comfort to her.

I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

"And it shall be, in that day,"

Says the Lord,

"That you will call Me 'My Husband,'

And no longer call Me 'My Master' (Hosea 2:14-16)

The “therefore” in vs. 14 refers to the fact that Israel had trusted in Baal for rain and productivity. God was going to use a dry desert to “allure” His people. His desire was that a desert place would cause a return to HIM. He wanted to comfort and bless His people. Why do we tend to connect our “desert test” with punishment? (1 John 4:17-19) We experience confidence in the day of judgment because we allow His Love to kick out worldly fear! Let’s go hear His words of comfort and see our future vineyards that are planted in this place.

The valley of Achor means the valley of troubling. It refers to the sin of Achan at the battle of Jericho. (Joshua 6-7) A loving Father so wanted his people to trust Him and prosper and so He told them to not touch the riches inside those walls of Jericho. However, Achan took gold and silver (mammon) and a beautiful Babylonian mantle (giving our identity to the world). He buried those items inside his tent and hoped no one would know. Go figure! He is Yahweh Sees.

So, I speak to the people of a living God who are living tabernacles/tents! Do we have buried deep within us false trust? How much of our identity have we given over to the world systems even in the church? Our Father wants His Love to unearth all of this and allow that valley to become a door of hope in us! He says that our covenant love will be restored and all the false things that have attempted to “master” us will be done away with. That sounds like revival rain to me!

For several weeks I have felt such an unusual intensity in prayer to see awakening in the American church! May Texas travail in prayer! May we hear our Dad in the drought! May we allow Him to show us our future vineyards and comfort us with His beauty. May all of your past troubled valleys now become Hope! May the sound of rain fill our hearts.

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-Three!

2011-07-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't like doing this but I felt compelled by the Lord to re-post a blog from June 2010. My wife Kay and I were on a vacation/business trip to Arizona. I believe one of the greatest battles we'll fight, like Jesus did, in the wilderness are "distractions."

"But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Ever since this trip began I knew that I was to make a certain stop. It was one of those "compelling" things. I was anticipating with excitement our trip to the Grand Canyon, our visit to Ruidoso and our stay with the McIntyre's in Arizona. I am still looking forward to seeing our second grandson Nate on Sunday.

But one visit we had to make could only be described as a divine appointment. We had to visit the church which my parents planted as a mission congregation in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was their second assignment and my first. They had first pastored a congregation in Moville, Iowa near Sioux City (where I was born). I was hardly six months old when we arrived in Arizona. My personal memories of Scottsdale are the ones formed by photographs (slides) and memories told by my parents and brothers.

I knew that I had to go to that location and stand on that land. There was something there that I needed to see. There was a revelation that the Lord wanted to make known to me. It was serious. A similar experience had happened on my previous visit to the Phoenix area in 2008. During that visit the Lord "supernaturally" imparted to me to the desire and the anointing that my dad first carried on him to minister to Native America. My relationships with the First Nations (especially the Comanche and Cheyenne) went to new depths after that visit. This feeling was similar.

We headed out by car for Scottsdale. I knew the general location of the church on Indian School Road but I had last seen the building 23 years earlier. We discovered the building but only after we had already passed it. The car was filled with distractions. Beverly McIntyre (who was driving) had three grandchildren in the car besides Kay and me. We missed it on the first attempt because Beverly had received a phone call, one of the grandchildren started getting sick, the road had been widened and newer hotels and such had been built around the old church structure. I had to call my dad and brother in Texas to verify its location.

When we arrived at the building it was obviously no longer a church. Ascension Lutheran had moved many years earlier to another location in the city (into a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright). Even when Kay and I saw this building 23 years ago it was occupied by an arts supply business. Now the City of Scottsdale had taken possession of it. It was being used for offices. In the front reception area there were a few black and white photos of the dedication in 1952. Besides those photos and the lights hanging from ceiling there were no signs that it used to be a church. It was filled with beautiful artwork on the walls and cubicles across the floor. The outside had been landscaped with wrought iron fences, decorative stones and new plants. Two large palm trees that my grandpa had planted and I watered (proof is in the slides) had been removed only months ago. The receptionist and worker who visited with us were extremely kind and excited to hear that I was the son of the original pastor.

We took pictures and headed off to eat. But before we did I prayed. I felt a strong sense of something. It was not nostalgia or old memories. It was a strong feeling of a spirit of distraction. I decreed in my prayer that those distractions would cease and that the Lord would restore to us a simple and pure devotion to Him.

Last night we attended the conference entitled PrayerQuake in Mesa. Francis Frangipane from Iowa was the speaker. I personally had a hard time engaging with the Lord. The worship was awesome but the room was filled with distractions - strobes, lights, etc. The message of the evening was all about dying to ourselves and reclaiming a simple devotion to the Lord. All I could see in my mind's eye was the old church building surrounded by fences, artwork and cubicles. I closed my eyes and waited on the Lord. I could feel His presence but the feeling was heavy. All the right words were being spoken but there were too many distractions - especially in my own heart.

Why did the Lord want me to revisit the old church? Why was it so important and compelling that I go there? The answer I have this morning (but I know He is not done) is this: His church - the ekklesia - has been redesigned by man. Though He built it to transform the world into the image of His kingdom - it has itself been transformed or conformed to the image of the world (Romans 12:1-2). He wants our simple devotion. He does not want us deceived or distracted by the trappings and designs of the world. We are to be instruments of change in a world that is filled with confusion, deception, distraction, fear and hopelessness.

That old church building represented a simpler day but this is not about an old building. Its about us. In the midst of oil spills, immigration issues, financial losses, wars and the such - the Lord calls us to Himself. He wants more than our attention - He wants us. He desires that our lives would be so transformed by His presence in us that we would transform the world around us. Do not be deceived by the deceptions, distractions or trappings around you - seek the Lord!

PRESS ON THROUGH THE WILDERNESS!

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-Two!

2011-07-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

"These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua" (Numbers 13:16).

Forty days can make or break you!

Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath." (Numbers 13:17-21)

The moment had arrived. The people of Israel had experienced a wilderness of captivity in Egypt. They had witnessed the mighty hand of God annihilate the gods of their enemy. He had destroyed Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. They had consumed divine water that came forth from the rocks and the divine presence of God as He descended on Mount Sinai. Now they stood on the boundary of the promised land.

"And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit" (Numbers 13:25-27).

And after forty days - they received a great report on the marvelous land that was before them - NEVERTHELESS!

"Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, 'Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.' But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we'” (Numbers 13:28-31).

NEVERTHELESS! Wrong answer. The purpose of the wilderness is summarized again with our God drawing us close to Himself in order to fully prepare us for our destiny in Him. Israel had witnessed the power, the miracles and the demonstrative hand and heart of God. He had drawn them into the wilderness on "the wings of eagles" to prepare them as a kingdom of priests. But as they longingly waited for the spies in return, they allowed old enemies - shame, fear, a victim spirit and doubt - to enter into hearts. Their vote, even with the power of the Lord going before them, was "no."

Don't let fear or doubt enter in. The drought seems worse. The temperatures are higher. The nation is still in a state of teetering collapse, BUT our Lord goes before us. He will set us into our destiny! He reigns. He will reveal His power and grace in that day when rain spreads out over the entire state and He fills our lakes, rivers and aquifers. He will reveal His reign as His kingdom unfolds before us. So today - even as we continue our wilderness journey - say "YES."

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty-One!

2011-07-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

He was on the fast track to success. Successful shepherd. Anointed by the prophet to be king. Slays a giant. Gains favor in the royal house with the king and his daughter. Leads the army in victory after victory.

Things went "south" quick. The favor of the king was replaced by jealousy, anger, rage and attempted murder.

ENTER WILDERNESS

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.” So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Now the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. (1 Samuel 22:1-5)

Much like Moses, David had to escape into a wilderness setting. Moses had murdered. David was about to be on the receiving end of murder. Both are drawn into a place of encountering the will and strength of God. The Lord unfolds David's destiny before him. He draws warriors to his side - sounds like people living in our time (distress, debt and discontent). And note that this wilderness is defined as "the stronghold." God's presence is our stronghold in the time of debt, distress and drought.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

I am reminded of what I wrote on Day Eight of this Call to Prayer.

"Elijah was threatened with death by Jezebel (the principality of Baal) and ran for his life to Beersheba, which is a one day journey if you walk or run. The text declares that he went one more day into the wilderness. In a state of depression he rests under a broom tree. He is divinely nourished. On the next day he starts a 40 day trek to the mountain of God."

We are running - into the strong tower - into the wilderness - into the presence of God - into our destiny as a state and nation. We are only halfway through our forty day trek. Press on! Press through!

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Twenty!

2011-07-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Moses set out to deliver his people via his own strength. Enter - WILDERNESS!

Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?” Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian....

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 2:11-15, 23-25; 3:4)

But at the end of the wilderness - ENTER GOD! The wilderness experience gets rid of our strength, our efforts, our plans and our wisdom. We are in a place and a time - in the throes of a severe drought of spirit and nature - when we need God and His burning bush!

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Nineteen!

2011-07-06T04:40:00.000-07:00

It's July 6th. Yesterday afternoon I returned home from an assignment in the Washington DC area. As I reported in previous blogs, Ken Bryan of Waskom and I journeyed to Gettysburg and Washington DC to be a part of the 11-11 Initiative. It was a powerful time of resetting covenant as a nation with our God and Lord. But as often happens, Ken and I found ourselves being sent by the Lord on other assignments. Soon after we arrived Ken found a folded, almost crumbled copy, of a word that was given to our Texas Apostolic Prayer Network council a year ago. It was delivered by the same Tracy Hamlin that gave the word regarding Texas last month, which I posted on my blog on July 4th!

I won't quote his entire word from a year ago, but let me state this - it was meant for this year not last. One portion stated:

As you have lit a flame at the altar, I am lighting an everlasting fire inside this local body, as a beacon and a sign to this community. Even the bridge being torn down was by My hand alone. I am tearing down the bridges that man has built that lead to nowhere. I am tearing down to rebuild, and even turn things full circle and I will bridge every gap between races and churches in this community. When I tear down, I rebuild. As you tear down, you must also rebuild. Don’t simply rejoice at the rubble of the altars to Baal, but build an altar to Me in the middle of the enemy’s camp.

As we entered Gettysburg we were frustrated that the two major bridges that carry you into the city from the south had been torn down and were being rebuilt. The flame on the altar was a literal oil lamp that was placed and burning at the front of the worship room we were in. The oil lamp had first been bought by persons in Houston during the revivals led by Pentecostal George Parhum before he sent William Seymour to Azuza Street in Los Angeles. It had been carried by car 3300 miles from Washington State by the 85 year old relative of those owners to be at this meeting in Gettysburg. And on the spiritual ruins of Baal at both Gettysburg and Washington DC - we build an altar of worship unto our God. One of the main structures which promotes Baal and Freemasonry is the Washington Monument. As we stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial - we saw that the Reflecting Pool has been torn up for repair. IT WAS NOT REFLECTING the monument.

To say the least we not only walked on natural battlefields (Ken and I also walked and prayed the grounds of Antietam and Harper's Ferry) but fought fierce spiritual battles. By the time we sat down near the Iwo Jima Memorial to watch the Capital Fireworks, we were battle worn. But that is the season we are in! Like Elijah and Jesus, let me remind you that we are walking through the wilderness towards a fresh kingdom revelation! Stay the course. Fight the good fight! Set your eyes on Jesus! And once again - THE LORD REIGNS. Lord, bring forth Your rain!

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Eighteen!

2011-07-05T03:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (July 4th) we gathered with representatives of other states and re-established covenant, as a nation, with the Lord. The following covenant was drawn up by Jon Hamill and others with Lamplighter Ministries.

DECLARATION OF COVENANT

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political and spiritual bands which have connected them with another, and to seek and receive from their Creator both a Pardon and a re-constitution of Covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to this dedication.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. And as an Act of Liberty, our Nation was covenanted to Jesus Christ, in the Presence of Holy Spirit, by women and men sent by Him to establish both community and governance for “the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith”—

And as successive generations, motivated by greed, compromised these Godly covenants--endorsing the subjugation of their brothers and sisters, both Host People and Immigrants; and embracing various forms of Baal worship, including Freemasonry and the occult—

Thereby yielding in part the corporate will of the people, in community and governance, to the influence of Baal and the consequential denial of justice, even to the unborn—
And whereas stewards of this Nation, rooted in the Land, appointed by God as repairers of the breach, have wholeheartedly repented of these sins, restored covenant, and have labored for a reprieve from the endless reproach these sins have brought upon this land and people—

Having sought and obtained from their Creator a Verdict of divorce from Baal, including the issuance of an everlasting Restraining Order and a Writ of Assistance for the restoration of all the Highest Court has granted as a covenant right of Possession—and having throughout the year approached this Court with the same intent in every State of the Union, and in towns and cities therein, receiving the same verdict in favor of the saints;

We now, in the Presence of God, present ourselves before the Highest Court of the Kingdom of God, with the intent to re-consecrate this Nation according to the covenants made with Jesus Christ by our forefathers.
And with all solemnity and deference to Your Majesty, request that this Nation, as spoken by Isaiah and Hosea, might again be Married to the Lord, apart from all idols from which You have granted said divorce. And that Your Glory, the Presence and Power of Holy Spirit, might fully return and reside again in this land, releasing awakening, union and reformation. And that by this covenant renewal, as Abraham Lincoln articulated, our Nation, under God, might have a new birth of freedom.

For consideration in this Petition, we present to You the Covenant legacy of the Pilgrims, who on 11-11, 1620 committed the land and government to “the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith,” according to the Mayflower Compact.

And we present to You the Covenant legacy of the Huguenots who came to this land with the same intention—whose blood was spilled and mission aborted—whose founder died chanting Psalm 132, begging Your Majesty that this land would be a “dwelling place for the Mighty God of Jacob.”

And we present to You the original intent of many Host people of the Land—who agreed from the beginning that both ownership and stewardship belongs to their Creator and Father. Who sought with reverence to honor the Laws of Nature, and Nature’s God. To whom You endowed great wisdom, even to convey and implement principles of democratic governance that framed the United States Constitution.

And finally, we present to You the legacy of the Seed of Abraham, by which Your Covenant with Israel and Mankind has been perpetuated. Our gratitude is immeasurable that You have chosen to graft us into this Covenant—even, as Asher Intrater observed, the Pilgrims “saw themselves as a New Israel, a nation wholly covenanted with God.” To this end, we fully commit our covenant stewardship to resource the dream of Your heart for Israel, the Jewish people, and for the nations.

In the Name of God, Amen. Having undertaken, for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Faith, the sacred task of repairing our Nation’s founding covenants with our Creator; and having diligently and wholeheartedly sought forgiveness for breaches of said covenants, offensive to God and detrimental to mankind; we now solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, combine these founding covenants as one Sacred Consecration of this land, the United States of America and all of its territories, to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And to this combined Declaration of Covenant, and all of our founders’ intentions in establishing One Nation under God, with the witness of Heaven and Earth, we do add our agreement that this Land, its people and resources, be entirely consecrated to You. As You have engraved us in the palm of Your hand, we now ask for the Hand of God in marriage, unto whom we promise all submission and due obedience.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names in Washington DC this 4th of July, 2011:
We, The Beloved of God, and The Lord of All, do by these present make known that we have on this 4th day of July, 2011, by solemn vow:

Covenanted to be forever bound to one another; I the Lord declare, “You will call me husband” (Hosea 2:16) “I will betroth you to Me forever. I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the Lord” (Hosea 2:19, 20).
We, The Beloved of God, declare: “We acknowledge you alone.” (Hosea 2:20) “You are my God.” (Hosea 2:23) It is to you alone that we will be faithful. We will know no other. We, The Beloved of God, do acknowledge and declare: We betroth you in our righteousness and justice, in our love and compassion. It is You, our God, we betroth in faithfulness. We acknowledge You alone as our Bridegroom and our provider (Hosea 2:8). And we will at all times look to You—one with Your heart, in covenant with You for our land. And hereto do we make our sacred promise.

The Church, The Beloved of God

As we finished there was a group of singers from South Korea declaring Jesus as Lord over our nation. Notice our beloved brother, Negiel Bigpond, in their midst.

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Seventeen!

2011-07-04T03:59:00.000-07:00

It’s the Fourth of July. Ken Bryan and I are heading into Washington DC to accomplish several things:

We are participating in the closing parts of the 11-11 Initiative that took us to Gettysburg the last three days. We meet this morning at the Lincoln Memorial. Check out the link at this site: http://www.lamplighterministries.net
We are completing an assignment the Lord has been personally placing in us to align Texas properly with the Kingdom shift that the Lord is bringing about in our nation. There were specific prophetic acts that we were to carry out at Little Round Top in Gettysburg. Texas forces were involved in that aspect of the battle on July 2, 1863, which was marked by Colonel Joshua Chamberlain’s heroic bayonet charge. We also carried out similar acts at Antietam and await His directions regarding any assignments in DC.
It’s July 4th! Fireworks are in order!

I also feel compelled to release a word that was sent to me by Tracy Hamlin. Tracy is a member of Dr. John Benefiel’s church (Church on the Rock) in Oklahoma City. It concerns Houston and Texas. He received it nearly a month ago from the Lord. It is very appropriate for this season as we head to August 6th.

Saturday, 6/11/2011

Houston is the TRUMPET!

You have to go to the deepest point to reach the biggest deposits. The pressure currently keeping the treasure locked up is the same pressure that will cause it to burst forth when the deposit place is tapped. Houston will be command central, and the signpost by which God’s authority is shown in the government, not only in Texas, but in the nation, and then the continent of North America. An example is being set forth for the nation to follow, a righteous example of being truly called, obedient, then set apart. Holiness, among other things, is the greatest example being set for the nations.

NATIONS will look to the apostolic and prophetic leaders in Texas for not only advice and guidance, but genuine deliverance and mantling. It’s all about mantles of authority and the sphere of influence at this stage, so allow ME to set the stage, allow Me to establish the pace, as some will be slower than others to respond, but KNOW that as I shake one place, I am establishing another, and in My time, all will align into My Kingdom Purpose. Houston is the trumpet, the ears of the nation will be turned to Houston during August and September, even more-so than the eyes of the nation. It will be the sound that comes from Houston that will change the atmosphere, more than the actions.

YES the actions are important, but the SOUND of the trumpet is what is heard and noticed more than the look of the instrument. People will say, the media will report “never before has this happened” and it is not in reference to the gathering, it will be more than that. MORE THAN THAT!!! Pull yourself up by your bootstraps; settle in tight, and HOLD ON!!! The ride has been wild to this point, but truly it’s only been the staging area up to this point. MY GLORY will shine in Texas, and when it does it will be as a bright sun to a man blind from birth, seeing for the first time. Allow Me to shine, allow Me to root out, allow Me to turn upside down that which was never right side up. The continental divide will shift, watch it, and be ready with your response.

What does this have to do with Texas you ask? Wait and see as I encircle areas with My hand, and you will see Texas come in to a new alignment, the ground of Texas will enlarge and be broadened by My hand. I am about to enlarge the tent of Texas to cover those that have previously had no covering. THIS IS A CONGRESSIONAL MOVE AS WELL!! Your influence from the spiritual authoritative seat in Texas will be heard LOUD AND CLEAR in the congress of this nation- but wait! This is only a means to obtain entry into other nations governments and re-mantle the authorities there. Get ready to travel Texas leaders, stay packed and at the ready, for when the call comes, there will be narrow windows of opportunity to slip in and out of government places and palaces.

SEND AND SEIZE the right leaders at the right moments to arrest the principalities and recover the wealth. Do not turn down the gift of honor, for it will be an in-road as well to deeper secret places and much higher levels of influence. Accept the gift of honor accept the gift of welcoming, and don’t get hung up on religious fodder that would cause you to offend the leaders of the nation and cause a door to be shut on your input. You will eat the dinners of Kings and dignitaries, so polish up your etiquette; it will be better revered if you know where the right fork is. Once the formalities are done and set aside, a relaxing of the guard will occur, and you will have the ear of the leaders to speak a release and a delivering word in a moment. You WILL see the nations shift, you WILL see the leaders bow, you WILL reap the tangible spoils and benefits.

OH TEXAS!!!! PLANT YOUR SEED NOW!!! “But it is out of seedtime, the weather is too hot, the ground is too dry” HA! Am I not the GOD OF THE HARVEST? Then I am also the GOD OF THE SEED!!! I will cause the right rain in the right time to foster expansion, so PLANT NOW the seeds you want to produce in the next and immediate season. Watch the timing, listen for My GO!, listen for My GO!, listen for My GOOOO!!!! This is why it is of the utmost importance to be ready; the plane will be idling on the runway when the phone rings, so timing is of the essence. Don’t sweat the details, remember that I took care of the sparrows and arrayed the fields in grass and flowers. Don’t say “but we have no means”, it will not take your resources for long, and the recovery will be immediate. Don’t say “but I have this appointment and that to-do”, cancel what you must, things will keep, rearrangements will take place, and the task I give you will be the one to focus on. In the middle of this, promotion will come- I do not tell you this to blow your ego, I tell you this to encourage the weary that serve along side you, that have sacrificed and given and toiled. I am the King, I am the Lord, I am God alone, and this new season is no small task, but will be easy with Me at the helm.

(He showed me a diamond mine that has stopped producing diamonds, so rather than digging a new mine, the strategy was to simply go deeper, into the next treasure, but there was also more pressure)

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Sixteen!

2011-07-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

The wheat and the tares!

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matthew 13:24-30)

Last fall, as a part of a prophetic act, I planted a bed of winter wheat. Throughout the winter and early spring it came to full harvest. During the Pentecost season I harvested the grain. As I did the Lord began to speak to me about removing the tares or weeds. When I read this parable in the past, I had always assumed that the tares represented the evils of the world around me, but now realized that it was the cares, worries, evils and sin that wove through my own life and were a part of the roots of my life.

As I harvested the wheat, I cut the tares (some of which had woven around the stalks of the wheat) as well. With the grain resting in my hand, I was able to readily distinguish between the wheat and tares and carefully, but quickly, remove the tares from the sheaf of grain. I tossed the tares into the trash heap. The Lord released an unforgettable truth into my heart. I believe daily He draws into His hands those who are His own. And daily, as we submit to Him in repentance, He removes the tares from us. He then places us (as I mentioned yesterday) on the threshing floor for the process of threshing and sifting us into pure grain.

The Lord is gathering, threshing and sifting us as individuals, as a state and as a nation. Submit to Him. He is developing a kingdom people. Sam Brassfield posted on Facebook yesterday: "Many things are changing both In the world at large, and in the church world. The separation of the wheat and fake wheat (weeds) in the kingdom of God in the earth! The shaking of all things will only increase in the next decade!" Yes and amen. Lord, begin with us!

A Statewide Call to Pray! Day Fifteen!

2011-07-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

The wilderness is like the threshing floor! A few weeks ago I preached on the threshing floor. Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain (or other crop) from the scaly, inedible chaff that surrounds it. It is the step in grain preparation after harvesting and before winnowing, which separates the loosened chaff from the grain.

Sheaves of grain would be opened up and the stalks spread across the threshing floor. Pairs of donkeys or oxen would then be walked round and round, often dragging a heavy threshing board, sled or sledge behind them, to tear the ears of grain from the stalks, and loosen the grain itself from the husks.

After this threshing process, the broken stalks and grain were collected and then thrown up into the air with a wooden fork-like tool called a winnowing fan or fork. The chaff would be blown away by the wind; the short torn straw would fall some distance away; while the heavier grain would fall at the winnower's feet.

In God's Word, the threshing floor was referenced often. It represented several things including: provision, transition, revelation, judgment, covenant, mediation, worship, separation, calling and the moving (blowing) of Holy Spirit.

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:11-13).

One of the members of the congregation commented after worship that day: "Pastor, it seems to me that we are the grain in this process and we don't have much to do, except to be threshed." Precisely. Whether we journey through a wilderness or enter the threshing floor - it is always God's work being accomplished in us. Surrender to Him. Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee. The wilderness defines our dependence solely on Him. The threshing breaks away everything that clings to us. He is ready to awaken us with revival. He is longing to release His kingdom. We must let go and let God!

Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done!